PAPAYA

Papaya is native to the American Tropics. Papaya had already been cultivated before the rise of the civilizations from the Central America around 200 A.D. in the area nowadays known as Mexico.

Dried papaya pieces together with pineapple are a delicious snack, which can be eaten on their own, and they can be added to breakfast cereals, and can be used to sweeten beverages, as well as to decorate cakes, desserts and other dishes.

The largest growers of papaya are India, Brazil and Indonesia.

The tree attains a height between 5 and 10 metres and produces large leaves which can grow up to 70 centimetres long. The fruit belongs to the family of berries and can attain a length of 40 centimetres. When the fruit becomes ripe its skin has an orange hue.

Replace black pepper with dried and ground papaya seeds.

In some parts of Asia, papaya leaves are cooked in steam and eaten.