Once called the “fruit of the angels”, papaya is pear-like, oval to nearly round fruit that can be as long as 20 inches. The flesh of papaya is a rich orange color with either yellow or pink hues.
The skin is waxy and thin but tough. When the fruit is green and hard it is rich in white latex. As it ripens, it becomes light, or deep-yellow externally and the thick wall of succulent flesh becomes aromatic, yellow, orange or various shades of salmon or red. The fruit is juicy, sweetish with taste similar to pineapple and peach, although much milder without the tartness, creamier, and more fragrant, with a texture of slightly over-ripened cantaloupe.
Inside the inner cavity of the fruit are black, round seeds coated with a transparent, gelatinous aril. Papaya’s seeds are edible, although they have a spicy flavor somewhat reminiscent of black pepper.
The fruit, as well as the other parts of the papaya tree, contain papain, an enzyme that helps digest proteins. This enzyme is especially concentrated in the fruit when it is unripe. Papain is extracted to make digestive enzyme dietary supplements.
Papaya not only offers the luscious taste and sunlit color of the tropics, but are rich sources of antioxidant nutrients such as carotenes, vitamin C and flavonoids. They are also source of the B vitamins, folate and pantothenic acid and the minerals such as potassium and magnesium. Papaya is also good source of fiber. All together, these nutrients promote the health of the cardiovascular system and provide protection against colon cancer. In addition, papaya contains the digestive enzyme called papain, which is used like bromelain (a similar enzyme found in pineapple).