Strange Fruits, Part One - The Papaya

Down at the super Wal-Mart, not generally the home of the exotic, I spied a 2-lb., lumpy fruit. It was unappealing, rather like a fat, homely zucchini. So I bought it.

After it had a couple of days to ripen, I cut it and scraped out the black seeds. The flesh is soft and smooth, and tastes somewhat like coffee with cream. Papayas are chock full of nutrients and low in calories. Their rich flavor gives a pleasant feeling of indulgence.

Raw papaya is good by itself or in salads. I also tried a green papaya roasted like a butternut squash. My experimental subjects (family members) liked it, after being unenthusiastic about the ripe fruit.