Sorry if it seems that I'm overly excited about papayas, but the truth of the matter happens to be that, well, I AM! Papayas are one of the healthiest fruits on the planet, and I feel blessed to be in Costa Rica right now, indulging in mother nature's goodness. What's all the hype about this 'super-fruit', you ask? Well, papayas happens to be LOADED with enzymes (especially papain) which aid in the digestion and assimilation of food you eat. Not only that, but these magical enzymes have been linked to numerous ANTI-INFLAMMATORY functions. As you may or may not know, inflammation is the first sign of dis-ease in the human body. So not only does this fabulous fruit stimulate the taste buds with that slight tropical familiarity, but it is completely FUNCTIONAL food as well. Papayas are jam-packed with fiber, B vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, calcium, iron and zinc as well. So basically, eat papayas... but make sure they are organic, and make sure they are in season.
The juicy part of all this papaya lingo (no pun intended), really has to do with the SEED of the fruit. The seed is often disregarded or cut away when eating papaya. If you cut a papaya in half, you will see a bunch of small round black slimy seeds, which often emit a quite spicy and bitter flavor if accidentally eaten. These seeds happen to be the healthiest part of the fruit.... FIGURES, right?! Do not fret! I recently heard a fantastic way to receive the health benefits of the seeds is to take them out of the papaya, either dehydrate them in a dehydrator or on the counter top, and then put them in a grinder and use them as PEPPER! How interesting is that? They happen to have a very peppery taste too. You can sprinkle it on a salad or your favorite meal, and the digestive enzymes will help assimilate the food you are eating! I have heard that chewing even just ONE of the seeds very well can digest an entire meal.
BON APPETIT!
