The papaya is still one of the exotic plants and fruits in this country. Thanks to their strong growth potential, the plants from Central America can also be grown from seeds.
Where do the papayas that we buy in the supermarket come from?
The papaya originally comes from Central America, where it was used in many ways by the indigenous people. Today's papayas in the supermarket often come from growing regions such as Hawaii, Brazil, Australia, India or the Ivory Coast and are offered in different varieties.
Papayas were already known to Spanish sailors like Christopher Columbus
The exact area of origin of the papayas has not yet been scientifically determined. However, evidence from the 16th century shows that Spanish sailors found the fruits, which were widely used by the local indigenous people, in Mexico and other places in Central America. After all, it was the Spaniards who laid the foundation for today's distribution by settling papayas in the Antilles and the Philippines.
The name of the papaya
The name papaya is now used in everyday language to refer to both the plant and the fruit of a whole range of papaya varieties. The name papaya probably comes from the language of the Arawak Indians who live in Central America. They are said to have called the fruits that are important in their culture “ababai”, which can be roughly translated as “tree of he alth”. Because it belongs to the melon family (Caricaceae), papaya is sometimes also referred to as tree melon or melon tree fruit.
Where do the papayas in the supermarket come from?
Basically, today there are different papaya varieties that were created through crossing and breeding with resistance to diseases. The papayas available in stores in this country are usually only about a pound in weight and come from growing regions such as Hawaii or Brazil. In Hawaii, papayas are now grown almost exclusively of the Rainbow Papaya variety, which is resistant to papaya ring spot virus. But there are also papayas in Mexico that can weigh up to 5 kilograms. Other growing areas in the tropics and subtropics are:
- Australia
- India
- Ivory Coast
How are papayas used?
The papayas from the supermarket should already have at least a few yellow spots or stripes on their green peel so that they can continue to ripen at home. However, papayas can be enjoyed as a fruit or vegetable, depending on your taste. If papayas have been harvested too early so that they no longer ripen with their full sweetness, they can still be cooked into the following products:
- Asian salads with spicy seasoning
- Chutneys
- Curries
- Salsas
Tips & Tricks
You can recognize the ripeness of the papayas flown here not only by the yellowish ripe color. Ripe fruits are also softer to press with your finger than harder, unripe fruits.
