With historical ties to South America, the papaya is a sweet, soft fruit with deep orange insides. The fruit can weigh as little as ½ pound to as heavy as 20 pounds, and come in a variety of shapes, including oblong and pear. The papaya appeals to many palates. For example, during his travels, Christopher Columbus went as far as to dub the papaya the ‘fruit of the angels.’ The papaya can also be used to create a range of heavenly sweet treats.
When looking for papaya dessert recipes, consider the following suggestions:
Papaya Bowls with Coconut Tapioca
The length and shape of the papaya makes the perfect “bowl” for puddings and custards, such as Coconut Tapioca. With two large papayas halved lengthwise and seeded, all you need is 3/4 cup tapioca pearls and one 14-ounce can of coconut milk. After making the tapioca, allow it to cool and then spoon into the papaya halves. Refrigerate to cool the dessert.
Papaya Flan
Flan is baked custard often served with a caramel sauce. The dessert is quite popular in Latin American countries. An example of ingredients needed for a papaya flan recipe includes one medium unripe papaya, eggs, flour, milk, butter, sugar, and ground lemon zest. Sugar is also used to create the caramel for the dessert.
Tropical Ambrosia
If you like a good fruit salad, consider the tropical flavors of mango, papayas, honeydew, watermelon, pineapple, and bananas – all mixed with honey and a cherry-flavored brandy. To make Tropical Ambrosia, combine 3 large mangoes, 3 large papayas, 2 ½ cups honeydew and watermelon balls, one fresh pineapple (peeled, cored and cubed), and ½ cup of honey. Gently toss the ingredients. Cover the fruit and chill for at least two hours. Before serving, stir in a little over ½ cup of cherry-flavored brandy.
Buying Papayas
Today, you can find papayas growing in Mexico and the United States – especially in Hawaii. When buying a papaya, keep in mind that the Mexican fruit may be larger, but is not as sweet. A papaya is completely yellow/orange when it is ripe. At room temperature, it will take 3 to 5 days for a papaya to fully ripen. Papaya seeds are spicy and actually edible with some people using them as a garnish in their dishes. When adding the fruit to your diet, you will also gain a high amount of folic acid, fiber, antioxidants, as well as vitamins A, C, and E.
