PAPAYAS
Like it's tropical companion, mango, the papaya is as common to natives of the Tropic of Cancer as apples and oranges are to Americans. The Fresh King papaya hails from Brazil, and is pink-fleshed, yellow-skinned and pear shaped with an aromatic pulp. This variety is unusually sweet and smooth, well suited to salads, fruit cups, shakes or cooked with meat or seafood. An extremely rich source of vitamins (with about 3 times the amount of vitamin C as an orange), the papaya is often considered one of nature's most perfect fruits.

History
The papaya was first described by the Spanish chronicler Oviedo in 1526 from the Caribbean coast of Panama and Colombia. It was soon grown throughout the tropics, its distribution undoubtedly being aided by an abundance of seed of relatively long viability (up to 3 years under cool, dry conditions). It has become naturalized in many tropical regions, particularly in areas with fertile soils and abundant rainfall.

Selection, Care & Handling
It’s easy to select delicious papayas! To eat right away, look for fruit that’s mostly yellow in color and slightly soft to the touch. Papayas that are mostly green with a bit of yellow color, and firm, will be ready to eat in a few days. Most papayas at the supermarket need to be ripened at home. When choosing papayas, simply look for ones green to yellow in color to take home, ripen and enjoy!

Preperation & Serving Suggestions
The simplest way to eat papaya is to cut the fruit in half, scoop out the seeds, and eat it with a spoon! Another quick way is to peel the outside with a vegetable peeler, cut into slices or wedges and remove the seeds. And here’s a tasty tip: Sprinkle papaya with lemon or lime juice to BOOST it’s delicious flavors!

Fresh Strawberry Papaya Coconut Smoothie
1 cup milk
1/4 cup lemonade
1 cup frozen papaya
6 coconut water
1 ripe banana, not mushy
1 pinch sea salt
1 tsp agave syrup (or honey)
2-3 Tbsp unsweetened coconut, shredded bits
6 medium fresh strawberries, de-stemmed
325g self-raising wholemeal flour
1tbsp baking powder
2 passionfruit
90g icing sugar

Blend all ingredients together, leaving out the fresh strawberries and a few ice cubes.
When drink blends smooth, add in strawberries and remaining ice cubes and blend on low for about 10-20 seconds.
Serve and love it.

Passion Fruit Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1/2 papaya (140g)
Calorie: 70	Calories from fat: 0
	% Daily Value
Total Fat: 1g	0%
Saturated fat: 0g	0%
Cholesterol: 0mg	0%
Sodium: 10mg	0%
Total Carbohydrate: 19g	6%
Dietary Fiber: 2g	10%
Sugars: 9g	Protein: 0g
Vitamin A: 8%	Vitamin C: 150%
Calcium: 4%	Iron: 2%