|
High in vitamin C, calcium, folic acid, potassium, fiber and carotenes, papaya is considered by some to be the healthiest fruit. Papaya flesh can be red or yellow depending upon the variety. The flavor is similar to cantaloupe, though musky in some varieties, and the texture is somewhat creamier than that of a melon.
Yellow papaya is found in India and Hawaii, while red papaya is found in India, the Philippines, Brazil, Mexico and Thailand. Varieties of papaya are not as pure as those of most herbaceous crops. Growers attempt to maintain very similar strains by controlled pollination, but if open pollination cannot be prevented, fruit characteristics may vary greatly. Solo, a strain of papaya found in Hawaii, has remained fairly unchanged due primarily to natural self-pollination. Papain is an enzyme found in papaya that is widely used commercially as a meat tenderizer.
Available Papaya Products:
|
