Papaya or pawpaw
Family Caricaceae
Carica papaya, the papaya or pawpaw (C. papaya 1), is a quick growing dioecious unbranched tree-like herbaceous plant, usually 2-7 m high, with latex vessels in all parts and prominent leaf scars on the hollow stem. The palmate and deeply lobed leaves are clustered near the apex of the stem, about 60 cm large, spirally arranged and with long petioles. Male flowers (C. papaya 2) in 25-75 cm long pendant axillary panicles, each flower whitish with trumpet-shaped corolla and 10 stamens in 2 whorls. Female flowers (C. papaya 3) larger, solitary or in small clusters, corolla with 5 yellow petals and a large superior ovary. The fruit (C. papaya 4) is a fleshy berry, 10-30 cm long, with a smooth skin turning yellow or orange when ripe. The flesh is yellow to reddish-orange, with a mild and pleasant flavour and is rich in vitamine A and fair in vitamine C. The fruit contains many black seeds (C. papaya 5), attached in 5 rows. Trees may live up to 25 years, producing to over a hundred fruits annually. Because of the poor keeping qualities most of the papayas are consumed locally (C. papaya 6).
Distribution
The papaya is not known in a wild state, but probably originated in South Mexico and Costa Rica. In the 16th century it was taken to the West Indies and later the Spaniards took it to the Philippines and Malaysia. From there it was introduced into India (C. papaya 7). In the 18th century it was reported in Zanzibar and halfway the 19th century it had reached Uganda. Today the papaya is widely cultivated throughout the tropics and subtropics.
Use
Fresh papaya fruits are eaten for breakfast and as dessert fruit throughout the tropics, usually with added lime juice, and in fruit salads. They are also used for making soft drinks, for flavouring ice cream and are canned in syrup. From the dried latex of the unripe fruits a protein-splitting enzyme, papain, is produced, which is used for tenderising meat, in the tanning industry for bating hides, to give shrink-resistance to wool, for degumming natural silk, and in industrial processes connected with food. The seeds are sometimes used in local medicine.
Biggest producers are Indonesia, India, Mexico, Brazil, Philippines, Peru, Venezuela, Cuba and Colombia. The principal producer of papain is Tanzania, chief importer the US.