Mountain Papaya

The evergreen softwood tree known as the mountain papaya is indigenous to the Andes, where it grows in subtropical and cool mountain climates in Southeast Asia and Africa in addition to its original range from southern Colombia to central Chile. The tree yields fruits with spherical, brown seeds and tender flesh.

The fruits have a strong scent and are slightly sour and acidic when completely mature. Typically, they are eaten raw or with sugar. Jellies and marmalades can also be made using fruits. Mountain papaya chunks can occasionally be preserved in syrup, and the fruit itself can be cooked and served as a dessert. The fruit is rich in many important nutritional compounds, such as vitamins A, B, and C, antioxidants, flavonols, carotenoids, and papain. The proteolytic enzyme papain is produced in 5-8 times the quantity of the common papaya and serves as a valuable digestive enzyme in human consumption.