It's as fun to grow as it is to eat! A papaya that’s ripe and ready for eating will have a mild, sweet tropical flavor; a cross between a mango and a cantaloupe. The fruit is 6–15 cm long and 3–8 cm broad, with five broad longitudinal ribs from base to apex; it is green, maturing yellow to orange. However, if your papaya has been ripened properly, the taste is more of a dry sweetness with a soft texture. The fruit pulp is edible, similar to papaya, and is usually cooked as a vegetable. It is also eaten raw. Unripe fruit has dark green peel, which turns yellow when ripe. All content and options expressed on this page are solely those of Slow Food. As for describing papayas, they are soft and pear-shaped tropical fruit along with green to yellow skin based on its ripeness. Also called the Mountain Papaya, or Champagne Fruit, the Babaco is an unusual Papaya relative with a unique flavor. Unripe papaya will be odorless and taste bitter. The big, football-shaped fruits taste sort of like pineapple or kiwi, and the juicy flesh is effervescent, hence the name "champagne fruit". Carica or mountain papaya has rounded shape, 6-10 cm long and 3-4 cm in diameter. The arequipeña papaya is a shrub that grows to a maximum height of 2 metres with a palm-like shape. The text from these descriptions may be used, without modifications and citing the source, for non-commercial purposes in line with the Slow Food philosophy. The papaya and its derivatives strengthen the immune system, promote digestion and have an anti-inflammatory effect. The arequipeña papaya has a smooth skin that is orange-yellow in colour and contains a juicy and sour pulp. Its pulp is firm, quite hard, and has a yellow-orange color with a sour taste and strong fragrance. It first flowers a year after final planting and a single plant can produce up to 200 fruits. It is generally eaten fresh or used to make jams, ice-creams and sweets. What Does Papaya Taste Like? It is generally eaten fresh or used to make jams, ice-creams and sweets. Slow Food gratefully acknowledges funding support from European Union. What does papaya taste like? Like mentioned above, if your papaya is not perfectly ripened, it may taste bland or bad. The main compounds produced by the fruit were esters (aliphatic and branched) and alcohols: the most abundant esters … The average length is 7 inches and a pound or two in terms of weight. The mountain papaya (Vasconcellea pubescens) also known as mountain pawpaw, papayuelo, chamburo, or simply "papaya" is a species of the genus Vasconcellea, native to the Andes of northwestern South America from Colombia south to central Chile, typically growing at altitudes of 1,500–3,000 metres (4,900–9,800 ft). The arequipeña papaya has a smooth skin that is orange-yellow in colour and contains a juicy and sour pulp. Harvest takes part between spring and autumn every 3-4 months. The juice is corrosive and can burn human skin causing a lot of pain and discomfort. It is also used in soups and stews. When carica is ripe enough, it size will increase to 6-15 cm long and 3-8 cm in diameter. The traditional products, local breeds, and know-how collected by the Ark of Taste belong to the communities that have preserved them over time. The mountain papaya (Vasconcellea pubescens) also known as mountain pawpaw, papayuelo, chamburo, or simply "papaya" is a species of the genus Vasconcellea, native to the Andes of northwestern South America from Colombia south to central Chile, typically growing at altitudes of 1,500–3,000 metres (4,900–9,800 ft). Cookies help us deliver our services. The arequipeña papaya is the fruit of a plant belonging to the Caricacee family, a native of the Andian area between Bolivia and Peru. By using our services, you agree to our use of cookies. Mountain or highland papaya (Vasconcellea pubescens) is a climacteric fruit which develops a strong and characteristic aroma during ripening.The dynamics of aroma volatile production during ripening of whole papaya fruit were analysed by headspace-SPME. Its texture will be soft and creamy so chewing should … [citation needed], This article is about the mountain papaya or mountain paw paw, "Vasconcellea pubescens A.DC. Vasconcellea pubescens is one of the parents of the 'Babaco' papaya, a hybrid cultivar widely grown for fruit production in South America, and in subtropical portions of North America. Well-ripened. The seeds cavity is… Also known as Strawberry papaya, its red-orange flesh is similar to berries, peaches, and melons. This arboreal cultivation is particularly widespread in the southern part of the Peruvian state, mainly in the mountainous Department of Cusco and even more so in the districts of the Province of Arequipa. It prefers a mild climate (12-18 degrees) and annual rainfall of 500-1,000 mm. You can also taste a slight muskiness which adds to the papaya flavor. If your papaya has no smell then allow it to continue ripening until it does. They have been shared and described here thanks to the efforts of the network that that Slow Food has developed around the world, with the objective of preserving them and raising awareness.