[Sca-cooks] Re:papaya

[Louise Smithson]

Phillipa wrote:
I  bought a papaya a few days ago and today I judged it ripe enough to
open.
The round black seeds looked really cool! The flesh was orange but not
bright orange.

It didn't taste particularly sweet and had a sort of coconut tinge to
it.

Can anyone tell me what a papaya is supposed to taste like? And how
sweet it should be.
Thanks a lot.

Phillipa,
I buy papaya when it is fully yellow on the outside and eat it when you
can smell it.  On it's own I don't think it tastes of very much, but
with just a spritz of lime juice it comes alive.
Much of the problem (like mangoes) is that they are shipped un ripe then
ripen off the tree.  When I visited South Africa many years ago I got to
taste real papaya (unbelievable) and real mangoes (wear a swimsuit or
sit in the bath).  Oh to visit a semi-tropical country again and eat
tree ripened fruits.

On the other hand if your papaya is really really green you can make som
tum.  A thai green papaya salad.
OK rather than waiting for requests for the recipe:
1 green papaya, peeled, deseeded, shredded and salted with 2 tblsp salt
for 20 minutes.  Wash well and squeeze all the moisture out.
Peel, deseed and quarter 3 plum tomatoes
Shred some lettuce and lay on a plate.
Dressing:
Fish sauce 1 part
Lime juice 2 parts
sugar      1/4 part (or to taste)
1 clove garlic pounded
3 or 4 hot red chillies chopped and pounded
Mix sauce ingredients together.
Put green papaya and tomatoes in a bowl, add dressing, be harsh mix
pound and beat all together.
Pour salad over lettuce.
Top with dry roasted (unsalted) peanuts.
Eat, enjoy and cry with the heat.  Then wonder why you are addicted to
it.
Helewyse