PAPAYA PYRAMID

A fruit which originated in southern Mexico, the papaya has extraordinary deep orange-pink translucent flesh with beautiful pearl-like seeds.

It was transported via Costa Rica to the Caribbean, Florida, California then reached Hawaii. The English word ‘papaya’ derives from the endangered Arawak language of eastern Venezuela, Guyana and Surinam.

Traditionally it is eaten for breakfast across Central America; in Asia and South America, an enzyme from the leaves is mixed to a paste to tenderize meat.

As recently as 2007, the Royal Star papaya was discovered in Mexico, a smaller fruit which has a distinctive star-shaped cavity where the seeds buried in the deep orange flesh.

Ripe papayas are often eaten with lime juice to counteract the sweetness of the flesh – but also to disguise the musky smell which some find off-putting.