Papaya

The papaya, also known as mamão, tree melon, fruta bomba, lechosa (Venezuela, Puerto Rico, the Philippines and the Dominican Republic), or pawpaw is the fruit of the tree Carica papaya, in the genus Carica. It is a small unbranched tree, the single stem growing to 5-10 m tall, with the spirally arranged leaves confined to the top of the trunk; the lower trunk is conspicuously scarred with the leaf scars of where older leaves and fruit were borne. The leaves are large, 50-70 cm diameter, deeply palmately lobed with 7 lobes. The flowers, similar to the flowers of the Frangipani, are produced in the axils of the leaves, maturing into the large 15-45 cm long, 10-30 cm diameter fruit. The fruit is ripe when it feels soft (like a ripe avocado or a bit softer) and its skin has attained an amber to orange hue. Papaya is also known as papoya in Japan.

Cultivation and uses

Originally from southern Mexico, Central America and northern South America, the papaya is now cultivated in most countries with a tropical climate like India, South Africa, and the Philippines.

The primary use of the papaya is as an edible fruit. It is usually eaten raw, without the skin or seeds. The unripe green fruit of papaya can be eaten cooked usually in curries, salads and stews.

Papaya is rich in an enzyme called papain (a protease which is useful in tenderizing meat) and other proteins. Its utility is in breaking down the tough meat fibers and it has been utilized for thousands of years in its native South America. It is included as a component in powdered meat tenderizers. The papaya enzyme, papain, is also marketed in tablet form to remedy digestive problems.

Papain is also popular (in countries where it grows) as a topical application in the treatment of cuts, rashes, stings and burns. Papain ointment is commonly made by fermented papaya flesh, and applied as a gel-like paste.

Caution should be taken when harvesting, as papaya is known to release a latex fluid when not quite ripe, which can cause irritation and provoke allergic reaction in some people. The papaya fruit and leaves also contains carpaine, an anthelmintic alkaloid which could be dangerous in high doses.

Women in Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka and other parts of the world have long used papaya as a folk remedy for contraception and abortion. Medical research in animals has confirmed the contraceptive and abortifacient capability of papaya, and also found that papaya seeds have contraceptive effects in adult male langur monkeys, possibly in adult male humans as well. Unripe papaya is especially effective, in large amounts or high doses. Papaya is not teratogenic and will not cause miscarriage in small, ripe amounts. Phytochemicals in papaya may suppress the effects of progesterone.

The black seeds are edible, and have a sharp, spicy taste. They are sometimes ground up and used as a substitute for black pepper. In some parts of Asia the young leaves of papaya are steamed and eaten like spinach. Excessive consumption of papaya, like of carrots, can cause carotenemia, the yellowing of soles and palms which is otherwise harmless. The papaya fruit is susceptible to the Toxotrypana curvicauda, or Papaya Fruit Fly. This wasp-like fly lays its eggs in young fruit.

Also referred to as pawpaw, the mature papaya fruit is approx. 15cm long and weighs about 300 - 350 grams. It has an very high vitamin C content (see nutrition chart below) and has an enzyme (papain) that is used extensively as a meat tenderizer, and to some degree in the beauty industry. It is also some parts of the world to treat intestinal parasites. The papaya tree grows to about 15 feet (4 meters) tall and the trunk has a diameter of about 10 cm. The tree generally consists of a single trunk with extensive leaf scars and generates branches only as a result of injury. Leaves form a spiral cluster around the upper portions of the tree providing ample shade for the delicate fruit attached to the trunk. The leaves have a life of up to six months and and extend about 3 feet from the main stem. The papaya fruit we are most familiar with weighs about 300 - 450 grams. The skin is yellow when ripe and green when immature. The soft fruit can be easily cut to reveal a red pulp protecting a tight cluster of small black oval seeds.

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Jamaica Papaya Growers