Papaya

These days, the term “superfood” is often used in an inflationary and exaggerated way. The papaya, however, undoubtably deserves the title of superfruit. Even if there is some disagreement over the taste, the facts speak for themselves.

The papaya is said to be very helpful in gastrointestinal disorders and can even inhibit the growth of cancer cells. Not least, it’s also said to help against wrinkles and improve the appearance of the skin - a real beauty fruit. They also made an impression on Christopher Columbus, who called it the "fruit of the angels" when he arrived in America.

sugars in g/100g*
fructose sucrose glucose fructose total**
2,95 3,05 3,60 3,65

Good to know

Papaya is great for desserts such as pastries or parfait and makes an excellent jam for a unique spread on your breakfast table. It can also be pureed and processed into a juice or smoothie. If you are looking for a heartier dish, enjoy the sweet fruit with poultry, fish and seafood. The fruit contains the enzyme papain, which makes the meat tender and digestible. For a delicious appetizer, papaya wedges can be rolled in thinly-sliced cured pork.

Even unripe papaya with the green shell is still edible. They have a sour taste and can be used in a similar way to pumpkin - in soups, stews and chutneys. The black seeds in the fruit give food a pleasant peppery pungency. They are washed, dried, crushed with the mortar, and used as a spice.

Depending on the severity of the fructose malabsorption, individuals can carefully test how much papaya they can tolerate. Since a papaya weighs 0.5 kg on average, a whole fruit should never be consumed all at once.

For individuals with an average tolerance about 30g makes a good test.

 *amount of sugar depends on variety and ripeness
**The value of 'fructose total' composes of the pure fructose and 1/2 of the sucrose.

source: BZfE, aid.de