Papayas

Have you ever fantasized about a delectable papaya piece on your plate for dinner? Papayas have a unique taste and texture; the combination of their sweet and juicy flavour, along with their smooth custardy texture, makes them extremely prodigal. Exotic papayas have been a favourite of many for years, but have you ever stopped to consider what it really takes to get a fresh papaya, full of its tantalizing sweet flavours, from its natural habitat onto your plate?

It’s a journey full of care, knowledge and commitment that ensures the quality of your papaya. From the farmers working in the fields to the transportation, their efforts contribute towards the quality of the fruit arriving at the grocery store or your doorstep. In this post, we will discuss the entire journey of a papaya piece, from its inception to your plate.

Going back to its origin, papayas are the product of a flowering tree, endemic to tropical and subtropical regions, such as Central America and India. Every part of the papaya tree has its purpose; the fruit itself is often used for food, the leaves for medicine, and the seeds for oil. Therefore, the papaya tree is also known as the “tree of life”.

Papayas are grown either through seeds or through stem cuttings, which are pieces of a stem that is cut off and grafted onto a new tree. Like most plants, they require favourable and consistent growing conditions to reach optimal yield, such as moist and fertile soil, regular and plentiful amounts of water, protection from pests and disease, and warm temperatures.

With ideal growing conditions and proper care, it takes about 3-6 months for a papaya tree to produce its first crop. Replanting the tree with higher quality and disease resistant varieties is a common practice in papaya production, as is pruning to keep the tree of a decent shape for growth and harvest. Pruning reduces papaya tree’s shade and increases production.

Once the papayas are ripe, the papaya farmers begin hand harvesting which is done by cutting the papaya off of the tree by using a machete or similar tool. This process is known as “picking”, and since papaya trees bear only one to two fruits per bunch, it is a very tedious process that requires patience. After the papayas are picked, they are packed in cases, baskets or bags and sent off to the local market or a pack house.

At the pack house, the papayas are washed and sanitized before they are graded according to size, shape, sweetness and colour. The papayas that meet the required standards are packed into cartons or boxes and sent off to the grocery stores, restaurants and markets. For markets abroad, papaya farmers must meet the international standards for food safety, which includes a variety of tests such as color tests, size tests, microbial tests and fiber content tests. The papayas that pass these tests are allowed to travel abroad to other countries.

Once the papayas have been approved for export, they are loaded onto freight ships or airplanes and transported to the destination country. Depending on the size of the shipment and the distance to be covered, the time for delivery can range from several days to a few weeks. During transit, it is important for the papayas to be kept at optimum environment conditions like proper temperature, humidity and ventilation to prevent spoilage.

Upon arrival in the destination country, the papayas are inspected and cleared by customs. After clearing the customs, they are delivered to the supermarkets, restaurants or retail stores. Papayas are usually distributed in cardboard or plastic trays and sold fresh, or sometimes pre-cut. Papayas that do not meet the required standards are sent to the processing units, where they are chopped and mashed into various products like concentrates, purees and juices.

Once the papayas have been purchased, it is up to the buyer to ensure that they are handled properly for optimum shelf-life. After purchase, keep them refrigerated until consumed and make sure to discard any spoiled pieces to avoid food poisoning. Papayas are best enjoyed fresh, and once you have them ready to eat, you can get creative with their use.

Whether you choose to eat them raw, or incorporate them into quiches, pies, custards or salads, you will be enjoying a delicious treat that took hard work and optimum cultivation techniques to make it onto your dinner plate. After all, what is better than being rewarded with a well-deserved piece of heaven for your dinner efforts?