Carica papaya L.
This large-sized papaya is usually served freshly sliced for breakfast, mixed with other fruits in Saladas de frutas (Brazilian-style fruit salad), or added to Vitaminas (Brazilian-style smoothies). Tender and juicy, the deep orange flesh is sweet and mildly- flavored, with low acidity and easy to digest. Unripe Maradol papaya, grated, cubed or cut into ribbons, is used to make a classic dessert from Minas Gerais: Doce de mamão verde. In Brazil, one of the major producers of papaya in the world, cultivation concentrates in the Northeast, especially Bahia.
