Formosa papaya
Giant in size, giant in flavour
- Directly to...
Can't get enough of the flavour of papaya? Then try this: the formosa papaya. It’s the heavyweight among the papayas; the fruits weigh up to 3 kilos! This giant variety shares all the excellent qualities of the familiar papaya. The fruit is ripe when the skin feels a little soft.
The soft flesh under the firm skin is a lovely orange. The aroma is wonderfully mild. This papaya is also delightfully sweet, with a flavour that suggests melon. The papaya is filled with black seeds. They are not really edible, but can be ground (after drying), as a stand-in for black pepper.
EAT ME formosa papaya grows in bunches on trees. The yellow and green fruits are clustered around the trunk. The colour indicates the ripeness of the fruit: the yellower the fruit, the sweeter the flavour. Even though it tastes sweet, this variety is rich in vitamins and minerals.
Recipes with formosa papaya
Sweet food, savoury food: use our recipes to inspire you. Create a delicious exotic curry or an unexpected flavour pairing with pollack. A papaya pancake is also a taste sensation.
Preparation
It's easy to prepare papaya. Slice the fruit vertically in half. Spoon out the seeds and cut the two halves into slices to eat, blend or even bake.
How to use papaya in the kitchen?
- Baking
- In salads
- As a snack
- In the blender
Storage advice
The formosa papaya will keep happily in a fruit bowl for a few days.
Nutritional values per 100 grams
Do you also like a papaya? It may be good to know that the fruit is not only very tasty, but also good for you. The fruit is a source of vitamin C. It's the vitamin that is important for a number of processes in our body. For example, vitamin C stimulates the iron absorption of our body.
Where do formosa papayas come from?
Formosa papayas grow in Brazil, on trees that can easily reach 4 metres high. The trees have a hollow trunk. The seedlings are planted when they are 4 weeks old. The papaya is a fast-growing tree: after only 5 to 8 months the tree is already 2 metres high and bearing its first fruit. The growers can harvest every day for 18 months, usually one fruit per day. After 18 months, the grower grubs up the field and the process starts all over again.
This is how you recognise me in the shop!
