Papaya also known as papaw, is a flowering plant also called the Carica papaya plant. It is a genus Carica species from the family of Caricaceae. Papaya is native to Central America and southern Mexico. Papaya trees typically grow in tropical climates and are cultivated in some warmest areas. The papaya was once an exotic and rare fruit, but is now often used in the culinary world. It is slightly sweet in taste with sparkling color, and offers various health benefits. It is a good source of vitamin C, fiber, and mineral. It is also a low-calorie and low-fat fruit.
Most papaya varieties have a soft yellowish flesh. It is popular in numerous countries and is commonly added to salads, pies, smoothies, and other dishes. Unripe papayas are also cooked. Most of the papaya varieties found in the supermarket are grown in Hawaii. But according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, India is the leading country that produces the most of the papaya varieties.
In this article, we will explore the different types of papayas which are notable because of their unique texture and taste.
Different Types of Papaya
Kapoho Papaya
This type of papaya is a Solo fruit with a sweet taste and has a yellow flesh. It is native to the Puna district of Hawaii in which most of their papaya trees are cultivated. This variety was introduced in Hawaii in 1911. The fruit has an average weight of up to 1 and a half pounds.
Hortus Gold Papaya
Is a papaya variety from South Africa. The papaya fruit has a beautiful bright yellow skin and the trees produce heavy yellow fruits that weigh 3-4 pounds. This cultivar is one of the biggest types in the papaya industry.
Guinea Gold Papaya
This variety of papaya came from western Austria. The fruit is a bright and brilliant peel color, with yellow flesh and a pear-like shape. This papaya fruit can grow around 2-3 pounds and may take 15-18 months to get ripe.
Samba Papaya
This is the latest cultivar introduced in the market. The fruit is oval in shape with a yellow-green spotted grind. The flesh is dark orange in color and is slightly sweet and pulpy. It is one the most nutritious fruits in the world. It is rich in beta-carotene and a good source of riboflavin and folate. It contains 212 varieties of amino acids and is good for digestion.
Hawaiian Sunrise Papaya
This is a popular type of papaya also known as Strawberry papaya. It tastes like berries, melons, and peaches. Hawaiian sunrise papaya is an alluring light green skin. The flesh color is pink and orange. It also has a shallow seed cavity which makes them easy to remove.
Hawaiian Sunset Papaya
This cultivar originated in the University of Hawaii and is a dwarf variety. Compared to sunrise papaya, it has a smaller fruit size and has a longer shelf life. The horizontally cut papaya is similar to a star .
Bettina Papaya
Bettina cultivar is an easy to grow papaya tree that bears round fruits usually weighing from 3-5 pounds. Its flesh is sweet and has a few seeds. This papaya variety is largely grown in Queensland, Australia.
Waimanalo Papayas
These types of papayas were developed 1960 and were introduced to the public in 1968. It bears fruit when very short and continues to produce fruits for a couple of years. This solo papaya has a yellow flesh and can weigh 22-32 ounces. This is also a fast-growing plant that can produce fruits in a span of 9-10 months from the time the papaya seed was sown. This dwarf variety of papaya originated from Oahu, Hawaii is a good source of Vitamin C.
Kamiya Papaya
This variety was also developed at the University of Hawaii. When a plant virus threatened the potentiality of the papaya, the school developed this cultivar. Its fruit has a yellow orange flesh, has a sweet flavor, and has a smooth texture. Kamiya papaya also has a high sugar content.
Oak Leaved Papaya
This variety is native to the Andes Mountains of Western South America. It bears an oval-shaped small fruit similar to acorn squash that grows from 3-4 inches long. It has a sweet pulp flesh and its seeds are also edible.
Coorg Honey Dew
The Coorg Honey Dew is an oblong-shaped papaya fruit that has a yellow green and thick flesh. It is a well-known selection from Honey Dew called Madhu Bindu. These cultivars are native to India.