Fruit Week: The Pawpaw! (Papaya)

Hey, it's Tuesday. I present you with the beautiful and magical papaya! Or pawpaw, papayo, kapayo, or mamoa, depending on where you are in the world...

My Instagram: @veganlifeisgood

I guess it is more science than magic that makes this great fruit what it is: loaded with vitamin C, a good source of vitamin A, B, and G (yes! There is a vitamin G and you need it. You may know it better as riboflavin), with some iron and calcium to boot. It's low-cal yet filling which makes it great for weight loss. The range in color from yellow to reddish-pink = a gorgeous addition to fruit salads or smoothies.
I love:

• simple cubed papaya with a twist of lemon, or 

• juiced papaya and strawberries blended with fresh young coconut water and banana. 

 A popular and crowd-pleasing trick is to cut papaya in half length-wise, scoop out the seeds and top layer of goop and use it as an attractive and delicious serving dish for other fruit or granola.
This guy has an awesome video recipe for a spicy Caribbean papaya salad:

Pawpaw Epilogue- Fun Facts: Papaya does have some mystical properties after all!

• The seeds can be ground into a suitable replacement for black pepper! 
• Raw green papaya is never eaten but papain, an enzyme in the latex of green papaya skin, has a long history of uses, from the topical treatment of cuts, burns, rashes and stings to treating Harrison Ford's ruptured disk on the set of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. 
• However, those with latex allergies may want to tread carefully, as with melons, bananas, and kiwi.
• Green fruit and seeds have been used to induce abortion, but the pregnant ladies out there don't need to be afraid of the ripe stuff!
• And dudes, papaya is very, very good for your -ahem- prostate health. SO BE A MAN, AND GO EAT SOME PAPAYA!