What are papayas?
The papaya is an exotic tropical fruit native to Central America. They bring an exotic touch to savory dishes and desserts. In some areas, the papaya is mistakenly referred to as pawpaw, although the true pawpaw is a completely different fruit. The flesh of the ripe papaya is bright orange-pink.The sweet-tart, musky flavor is likened to that of apricots and ginger, sometimes with a slightly peppery bite. To me, papayas taste like fruity, coffee-flavored cooked carrots.
The silvery-black, crunchy papaya seeds are edible but rarely used. They do lend a fabulous peppery flavor to salad dressings and can be used as a substitute for capers.
The green, unripe fruit works well in slaws or cooked as a vegetable. Maturation brings on the sweetness that works so well in desserts.
The natural papain enzyme in unripe papayas works as a potent tenderizer for meats and makes marinades very effective. Even the leaves of the papaya tree have long been used to wrap and tenderize tougher cuts of meat.
Commercial meat tenderizers contain powdered papain. This enzyme will keep gelatin from firming up, so don't use raw papaya in your gelatin molds. Luckily, heat nullifies this enzyme, so cooked papaya will be fine in gelatin.
More about Papayas and Papaya Recipes:
• What are papayas?• Papaya Storage and Selection
• Papaya Cooking Tips
• Papaya Recipes
Papaya Photo © 2007 Peggy Trowbridge Filippone, licensed to About.com, Inc.
Cookbooks
| • | Chez Panisse Fruit |
| • | The Purple Kiwi Cookbook |
| • | Uncommon Fruits & Vegetables |
| • | Nicole Routhier's Fruit Cookbook |
| • | More Cookbooks |
