The papaya is a large, tree-like plant, with a single stem growing five to ten metres tall. It’s spirally arranged leaves only grow at the top of the trunk. In cultivation, the papaya grows rapidly, fruiting within three years. It is highly frost-sensitive, limiting its production to tropical climates. It also prefers sandy, well-drained soil, as standing water will kill the plant within 24 hours.

Near the top end of their trunks, papaya trees bear many spherical fruits. They vary in size from fifteen to fifty centimetres in length and ten to thirty centimetres in diameter. An average-sized papaya weighs about half a kilo. The ripe fruits are soft like avocados and have amber to orange skin.

Inside, the fruit features black peppercorn like seeds in a central cavity, much like melons. The flesh is orange in colour with either yellow or pink hues, soft in consistency and with a sweet, musky, melon-like taste. Papayas are often sliced and eaten separately or served with a myriad of other foods. They can also be cooked to make chutney or various desserts.

The papaya fruit is very low in calories and contains no cholesterol; however, it is a rich source of phytonutrients, minerals, and vitamins. Due to a good amount of soluble dietary fibres, it helps to have normal bowel movements; thereby reducing constipation problems. Papaya seeds have been proven natural remedy for many ailments in the traditional medicines. The seeds can be found application as anti-inflammatory, anti-parasitic, and analgesic, and used to treat stomach ache and ringworm infections.