• Note: This is Act II of ‘Mama, mama, Mango!’ that appeared in the June 20 Food section. When Christopher Columbus brought the bell-shaped golden fruit to the shores of Spain, he had nicknamed it “fruit of the angels.” The
• Note: This is Act II of ‘Mama, mama, Mango!’ that appeared in the June 20 Food section.
When Christopher Columbus brought the bell-shaped golden fruit to the shores of Spain, he had nicknamed it “fruit of the angels.” The common name, papaya, soon developed from what the Europeans heard their new trading partners call the fruit, “pawpaw.”
The supple, sweet, melon-like papaya was relegated to the list of exotic fruits found in the tropical paradise of South America, the Caribbean and Southeast Asia.
Hanging from Dr.Suess-like trees, stout and tall, the fruit’s colorful ripening process tempts the best of pole-climbers to scurry upwards and pluck some “angel food” for folks back home. While the growing season in Hawai‘i continues month after month, our summer is still marked with hotter and longer days, perfect for a slice or two of papaya’s gold.
There are two types of papayas, Hawaiian and Mexican. The Hawaiian varieties are the papayas commonly found in supermarkets across the country, and represent a major export for the state.
These pear-shaped fruit generally weigh about one pound and have yellow skin when ripe. The flesh is bright orange or pinkish, depending on variety, with small black seeds clustered in the center.
Hawaiian papayas are easier to harvest than the Mexican variety because the plants here are, in general, shorter.
Mexican papayas are much larger than the Hawaiian types and may weigh up to 10 pounds and be more than 15 inches long. The flesh may be yellow, orange or pink. Due to their large size, the flavor is less intense than the Hawaiian papaya.
The fruit (and leaves) contain an enzyme called papain which helps digestion and can be used to tenderize meat.
According to the U.S. Department of Health, “Papayas offer not only the luscious taste and sunlit color of the tropics, but are rich sources of antioxidant nutrients such as carotenes, vitamin C and flavonoids; the B vitamins, folate and pantothenic acid; and the minerals, potassium and magnesium; and fiber. Together, these nutrients promote the health of the cardiovascular system and also provide protection against colon cancer. In addition, papaya contains the digestive enzyme, papain, which is used like bromelain, a similar enzyme found in pineapple, to treat sports injuries, other causes of trauma, and allergies.”
Papayas have long been used in Thai and Vietnamese cooking, often grated when the fruit is still young and a bit bitter. Like melons, papayas make wonderful smoothies, margaritas, salsas, fish and meat adornments, as well as perfect, simple snacks.
The papaya is full of flowery fresh flavor that is as nutritious as delicious. According to the Hawai‘i Papaya Industry Association, the Solo variety was first introduced to the state by Dr. Garritt P. Wilder in 1910.
“This marked one of the giant steps in papaya breeding in Hawai‘i, as Solo became the dominant type in commercial production,” states the Hawai‘i Papaya Industry Association’s Web site. “The date was Nov. 13, 1965, in the city of Hilo, Hawai‘i, the Hawai‘i papaya industry was formally organized. On this monumental date at the venue of the old Hilo Hotel, the first meeting of an organization of papaya producers in Hawai‘i was called to order. There must have been about 150 producers; handlers; wholesalers; shippers; University of Hawai‘i and government officials at this meeting that marked a milestone in the development of the papaya industry in Hawai‘i. The dream was to have an organization of the papaya industry and not a marketing cooperative. This was the inception of the Hawai‘i Papaya Industry Association.”
Papaya cultivars
• Kamiya
A selection from Waimanalo. Solo type. Small to medium-sized fruit. Distinct, blocky shape, very short neck. Deep yellow-orange skin and flesh, firm, juicy, very sweet. Dwarf, high-yielding plant. Fairly recent release from the University of Hawai‘i.
• Mexican Red
A rose-fleshed papaya that is lighter in flavor than Mexican Yellow. Medium to very large fruit. Generally not as sweet as Hawaiian types
• Mexican Yellow
A very sweet and flavorful, yellow-fleshed papaya. Medium to large fruit, can grow up to 10 pounds. Generally not as sweet as Hawaiian types.
• Solo
Fruit round and shallowly furrowed in female plants, pear-shaped in bisexual plants. Weight 1.1 to 2.2 pounds. Skin smooth, flesh firm, reddish-orange, very sweet, of excellent quality. Produces no male plants, only bisexual and female in a 2 to 1 ratio. Introduced into Hawaii from Barbados in 1911. Named Solo in 1919.
• Sunrise (Sunrise Solo)
Pear-shaped fruit with a slight neck. Averages 22 to 26 ounces depending on location. Skin smooth, flesh firm, reddish-orange, sweet, sugar content high. Quality similar to Solo. Seed cavity not as deeply indented as other Solo strains, making seed removal easier. Plant precocious, maturing fruit about 9 months after transplanting, at a height of about 3 feet.
• Sunset (Sunset Solo)
Solo type. Small to medium-sized, pear-shaped fruit. Orange-red skin and flesh. Very sweet. Dwarf, high yielding plant. Originated at the University of Hawaii.
• Vista Solo
Medium to large fruit depending on climate, 5 inches wide, up to 18 inches long. Skin yellow, flesh orange to yellow-orange. Hardy, compact Solo type producing high quality fruit. Needs fairly hot weather to develop sweetness. Self-fertile. Originated in Vista, Calif. by Ralph Corwin.
• Waimanalo (Waimanalo Solo, X-77)
Fruit round with a short neck, average weight 16 to 39 ounces. Skin smooth, and glossy, cavity star-shaped. Flesh thick, firm, orange-yellow in color, flavor and quality high, keeps well. Recommended for fresh market and processing. Fruits of female plants rough in appearance. Average height to the first flower is 32 inches.
— Courtesy of California Rare Fruit Growers, Inc.
• On the Net: www.hawaiipapaya.com
