How to eat papaya to get not only the pleasure of taste, but also the maximum benefit

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

The tree itself, on which the fruits called papaya grow, looks rather unusual. After all, there are very few leaves on it, but huge fruits hang, which are a bit like a melon (because of this, the tree itself is sometimes called melon) and change color as it ripens from green to gold, and sometimes orange. Each ripe berry (papaya refers specifically to them) weighs up to 5 or even 8 kg. Due to its popularity in cooking, cosmetology and medicine, the plant is produced in fairly large volumes in Mexico, Brazil, as well as in India and Indonesia. But in Europe, these berries are rare in fresh form. It is for this reason that most Europeans do not know how to eat papaya correctly and get lost while relaxing in exotic countries, when they are served these fruits for dessert or offered at the market.

Actually theyare used in a variety of ways. For example, ripe berries are served as a dessert (like a melon), they are mashed and added to salads. Dried papaya in the form of candied fruits is more common in European markets. In their manufacture, of course, additional dyes, preservatives and sweeteners can be used, but nevertheless, useful substances are stored in sufficient quantities to recommend the berry for consumption. In recipes for salads and meat dishes, green papaya is often used (these are the same berries, but in an unripe form). Despite the fact that the juice of an unripe plant is considered poisonous, it is still used in a variety of recipes. The secret is that ripe fruits can be consumed without heat treatment, while unripe ones must be fried or baked.

For those who do not know how to eat papaya because they have never tried it, we can recommend starting with ripe berries in their raw form. You can fully enjoy all the taste characteristics of the plant by visiting one of the countries where melon trees grow, since the fruits are not stored for long and they are not quite ripe for export, which affects the final properties. If such a trip is not planned for the near future, you can try to buy a fruit in the market or in a supermarket (it should be stored in the refrigerator, like most fruits), or even better, limit yourself to candied fruit.

For those who are perfectly familiar with the taste and aroma of the fruits of the melon tree, there are several recipes for eating unripe papaya as a component of an exoticdishes. For example, green berries can be cooked with minced meat. This will require: a pound of lean minced meat (beef, turkey, chicken will do), the same amount of papaya (it should be green, cut into 2 parts, without seeds), 3 large tomatoes, a little butter and vegetable oil, 50 gr. grated parmesan, large onion, garlic, chili pepper to taste, ground black pepper, s alt, spices (thyme, oregano), sugar. First you need to boil the papaya, for this it is placed in s alted boiling water for 10 minutes.

Minced meat is cooked in a frying pan by frying onion, meat in oil, s alting and adding garlic and pepper. Then the halves of the berry are placed on greased parchment, stuffed and baked in the oven for about half an hour. Sprinkle the almost finished dish with cheese and spread butter on top, after which it is left to bake for another 10 minutes. Before eating papaya, it is poured over with a sauce made from blended tomatoes stewed with s alt, sugar, pepper and herbs.

There are quite a lot of similar recipes, where the fruits of the melon tree are used to prepare main dishes. Papaya is also used to make cosmetics and some medicines.