What is it?

The tropical fruit papaya grows on a large woody herbaceous plant. It is believed to have originated in Mexico and neighboring Central America. Papaya is cultivated in most tropical countries and grows rapidly, fruiting within 9 to 12 months. The plant stands 8 to 25 feet tall, with spirally arranged leaves confined to the top of the trunk. The fruit itself is commonly round to cylindrical in shape, weighs as much as 4 to 10 pounds and has juicy flesh ranging in colors from deep yellow to red.

What is so good about it?

Papaya has a luscious taste characteristic of the tropics. Its flavor is deliciously sweet and musky, similar to cantaloupe, with mild notes of mango, peach and nectarine. Its texture is soft, buttery and greatly enjoyed in the tropics. Papaya is a very nutritious fruit. An average size papaya (approximately 150g) is an excellent source of the antioxidants, Vitamin A and Vitamin C. It is also a good source of folate, potassium and fiber. Papaya contains several unique protein digesting enzymes including papain and chymopapain. These enzymes are traditionally used as meat tenderizers, further diversifying the use of papaya in savory as well as sweet applications.

How to use it

Papaya is extremely versatile and may be used in many food and beverage applications. It pairs well with other tropical fruits such as mango, passion fruit and guava. It also complements many native fruits like strawberries, raspberries, peaches and oranges. Papaya may be used as a meat tenderizer in marinades or as a tasty addition to salad dressings. Papaya based marinades are an excellent way to combine different flavor nuances and create novel taste bouquets. Imagine papaya coconut muffins for breakfast, papaya peach soup on a hot day along with some papaya iced tea, a daiquiri or pina colada and then finish up with some panacotta with papaya mango sauce or papaya ice cream. Papaya may be used as a a tasty addition to salad dressings. A wide variety of sauces and marinades can be created with tropical fruits including savory tamarind papaya and papaya pineapple.

Papaya is a cost efficient ingredient for juice blends. It "softens" the flavor profile and sweetens acidic juices. It enhances mouth feel when paired with citrus juices.

What iTi offers

iTi supplies aseptic red papaya concentrate and aseptic yellow papaya puree both available in cartons and drums. The product is 100% natural, GMO free and produced from fresh, ripe, carefully selected fruit. It does not contain any artificial colors , flavors or preservative. The papaya is processed in FDA registered facilities which are GFSI, HACCP and Kosher certified.