Papaya Red Half Each

Red papaya is one of the great tropical fruits. Deeply orange-red fleshed, mildly sweet, and with that distinctive musky fragrance that divides rooms but converts everyone who tries it at its best. At peak ripeness it is smooth, buttery, and genuinely delicious.

Papaya is available year-round from tropical growing regions, but it is at its most flavourful and affordable during the warmer months when Queensland and Northern Territory harvests are at their peak.

Look for papayas that are mostly yellow with some green remaining, yield slightly to pressure, and have a sweet fragrance at the stem end. Avoid very firm, entirely green fruit that has been harvested too early, and anything that smells fermented or feels very mushy. Ripen at room temperature until mostly yellow, then refrigerate and eat within a few days.

Halve, scoop the seeds, and eat fresh with a squeeze of lime, cube into a fruit salad, blend into a smoothie, or serve alongside prawn or chicken for a Thai-inspired salad.