Papaya Juice
Abuja, Nigeria ·
Aperçu
Papaya juice is ripe pawpaw blended with water and served cold, one of the simplest tropical fruit drinks, and one made wherever the fruit grows, which across Africa is very widely. Pawpaw is the name used across much of anglophone West Africa for what is sold elsewhere as papaya. The tree grows quickly and fruits generously in warm climates, and in many households it is not bought at all but picked, which shapes how the juice is used, it is a way of dealing with fruit that has ripened all at once rather than a recipe planned in advance. The flesh is orange, soft and sweet with a faint musky edge that some people love and others temper with lime. Lime is the standard correction, and it does two things: it lifts the sweetness and it cuts the muskiness that can otherwise dominate. The fruit carries papain, an enzyme that breaks down protein. It is the reason unripe pawpaw is used as a meat tenderiser across West Africa, and it is also why papaya is commonly associated with digestion. It does not keep. Blended pawpaw separates and dulls within hours, so it is made and drunk rather than stored, and it is best served very cold.
Had to go down to the local shop on City Road to get a properly ripe papaya as the supermarket only had rock hard green ones. Added a bit extra lime juice than stated because the fruit was super sweet, served it over loads of crushed ice. Tasted lush.