Basic Chinese Chicken Soup Stock (Soup Base)

Ingredient Name: Papaya

• A relatively large, tropical fruit (ripe papaya can weigh from 1 pound to over 5 pounds each).
• The fruit is ripe when it feels soft and the skin has turned from green to an amber yellow-orange.
• The flesh of the fruit is juicy and sweet with a texture similar to cantaloupe and a flavour cross between pineapple and peach, but less tart.
• A ripe papaya can be eaten raw.
• Green (less ripe) papaya are generally used for cooking, including in Chinese soups.
• Ripe papayas are popular in Chinese desserts.

How do I prepare it?

• Cut the papaya in half, scoop out the seeds and remove the skin.
• For soups, cut green papayas into large cubes and add them into the boiling water.

Where can I buy this?

You can purchase fresh red papayas from most supermarkets
They come in a variety of sizes depending on the species of papaya

What is the cost?

• Papaya can cost $1 – $4 CAD per fruit (depending on where you buy and size and seasonal fluctuations)

Any benefits?

• The papaya fruit contains papain which may aid digestion
• Papaya fish soup is very popular in Asia for new mothers and are believed to encourage breast milk production – although it is recommended to use GREEN papayas rather than RED papayas

Any precautions?

• Papaya is a “cool” fruit and may cause diarrhea and stomach pain if eaten in excess

Additional Information?

• To slow down the ripening process, keep papayas in the fridge
• To speed up the ripening process, put papayas in a brown paper bag
• Ground papaya seeds are a good substitute for pepper

Resources

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papaya

Pictured below:  Green Papaya