Behold: the papaya before I began hacking at it.
It was the prevalence and cheapness of papayas in Hawaii, combined with a reading of In Defense of Food, that got me thinking about trying new produce. Sure, I’ve eaten my share of papaya over the years, but I couldn’t ever recall having purchased or prepared one.
It’s a fruit, so it didn’t require any more preparation than simply cutting it into slices. But after carving a dozen of them into various stages of mutilation, I realized that there’s a technique to it.
Step one: Wash the papaya, and then cut the top and bottom off of it.
Don't look now, but the papaya is topless.
Step two: Stand the papaya on its end and peel the skin away. This is easiest with a paring knife, but feel free to use whatever knife is comfortable for you, with one caveat: papayas are very slippery. Peel carefully if you want to retain all of your fingers.
Peel carefully.
Step three: Slice the papaya in half lengthwise, and then scrape the seeds out with a spoon.
The seeds are easily removed with a kitchen spoon.
Step 4: Flip the papaya over, flat side down, and cut the fruit into strips.
A lovely addition to any meal.
Lesson learned: If you’re visiting Hawaii, don’t leave your papaya unattended on the lanai, even for a minute. No sooner had we stepped through the sliding door than the mynah birds descended on the table to eat our fruit. They were known as Papaya Birds for the rest of the trip.
Tags: fruits, no-cook, papaya, something new
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