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Categories
Food and Entertaining
Appreciation of Food
Eating Techniques
How to Eat Papayas Download Article Co-authored by Jennifer Levasseur
Last Updated: August 26, 2025 Approved
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Choosing a Papaya
|
Eating a Papaya Raw
|
Cooking with Papaya
|
Meal Ideas that Include Papayas
|
Q&A
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Tips
|Show more|Show less X
This article was co-authored by Jennifer Levasseur. Chef Jennifer Levasseur is a Personal Chef and the Owner of The Happy Cuisiniere based in Breckenridge, Colorado. She has over 12 years of culinary experience and specializes in Mountain and Contemporary Rustic cuisine. Moreover, she can craft dishes and modify menus to accommodate dietary restrictions, such as gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian, and dairy-free diets. In addition to a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Management from the University of Houston, Chef Jennifer holds Associate’s degrees in Culinary Arts and Baking & Pastry Arts from Houston Community College. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, 88% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 417,311 times.
The papaya is a tropical fruit that is filled with Vitamins B, C, and other minerals. If you are interested in trying this superfood, try one of these many preparations for the best papaya-consuming experience.
Steps
Method 1 Method 1 of 3:
Choosing a Papaya
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1 Pick local fruit. As with all fruit, papaya is the best when locally grown and picked. If it is available in your area, pick or purchase it for the best taste. If not, try to choose fruit imported from areas closest to your location to insure freshness and flavor.
2 Try kapaho papaya. This papaya is grown in Hawaii and Costa Rica, and is known for a small to medium sized fruit with sweet, yellow flesh. Advertisement
3 Try a Mexican papaya. Mexican papayas are much larger than kapaho papayas, and have orange or red flesh on the inside. They are known for the tendency of having a bland or bitter flavor.
Advertisement Method 2 Method 2 of 3:
Eating a Papaya Raw
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1 Refrigerate the papaya. Although papayas can be eaten at room temperature, the flavor is best when served cold. Place a whole or halved papaya into the fridge to prepare it.
2 Slice the fruit in half. Papayas are very soft and can be cut with a spoon, but for a smooth edge use a paring knife. Scoop out and discard the black seeds at the center with a spoon.[1]XResearch source
3 Rinse the inside. Run the centers under cold water to clear out any of the seeds or pulp that may make a mess when eaten. Place on a plate when finished.
4 Quarter a lemon or lime. The acid in these citruses help to enhance the natural flavor of the papaya. Squeeze the juice over the fruit for the best taste.[2]XResearch source
5 Scoop out the flesh with a spoon. It should be very easy to eat the papaya if it is ripe, as the flesh will be very soft.[3]XResearch source
Advertisement Method 3 Method 3 of 3:
Cooking with Papaya
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1 Try green papaya salad. A traditional Thai dish, green papaya salad combines the sweet papaya with tomatoes, chilli peppers, lime, garlic, and fish sauce. Serve it cold for a refreshing introduction to a meal.[4]XResearch source
2 Bake papaya bread. Similar to a banana bread or zucchini bread, papaya bread is a sweet dessert made from fresh fruit, nuts and spices.
3 Make papaya sorbet. Sorbet is a fruit-based ice cream perfect for a warm day. Make papaya sorbet by blending the fruit with water, sugar, and lemon juice before freezing. Serve with fresh papaya to cool off poolside in the summer.
4 Prepare a papaya milkshake. For a twist on a classic shake, blend fresh papaya, milk, sugar, and vanilla. Serve in a cool glass, preferably with a bendy-straw.
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Meal Ideas that Include Papayas
Ways to Include Papayas in Meals
Community Q&A
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Question Should I eat the skin of a papaya? Community Answer You could, it won't hurt you, but most people don't. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 0 Helpful 18
Question How can I tell when papayas are ripe? Community Answer Buy a papaya when it is half green and half yellow. It will further ripen at home at room temperature and will be ready to eat when it is predominantly yellow. Papayas will ripen more quickly when put in a paper bag with ethylene-producing fruits, such as apples or bananas. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 8 Helpful 26
Question What's the best way to tell if a papaya is ripe? Community Answer It is ready to eat when it is predominantly yellow. Papayas will ripen more quickly when put in a paper bag with ethylene-producing fruits, such as apples or bananas. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 8 Helpful 23
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Tips
The seeds and skin of a papaya can be eaten, but are bitter to the taste.[5]XResearch sourceThanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
Papaya seeds can be used like black pepper in salads and are great to prevent parasites.[6]X Trustworthy Source PubMed CentralJournal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health Go to source Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
Try to eat papaya only during its natural growing seasons. This will ensure the best-tasting fruit. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
Show More Tips Submit a Tip All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published Name Please provide your name and last initial Submit Thanks for submitting a tip for review! Advertisement
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Co-authored by: Jennifer Levasseur Personal Chef This article was co-authored by Jennifer Levasseur. Chef Jennifer Levasseur is a Personal Chef and the Owner of The Happy Cuisiniere based in Breckenridge, Colorado. She has over 12 years of culinary experience and specializes in Mountain and Contemporary Rustic cuisine. Moreover, she can craft dishes and modify menus to accommodate dietary restrictions, such as gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian, and dairy-free diets. In addition to a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Management from the University of Houston, Chef Jennifer holds Associate’s degrees in Culinary Arts and Baking & Pastry Arts from Houston Community College. This article has been viewed 417,311 times. 8 votes - 88% Co-authors: 24Updated: August 26, 2025 Views: 417,311 Categories: Eating TechniquesArticle SummaryX
To eat papayas, start by cutting the fruit in half lengthwise with a knife. Then, use a spoon to scoop the seeds out of the papaya and discard them. Once all of the seeds are gone, scoop the papaya out with the spoon and enjoy! You can also scoop the papaya into a blender and blend it with milk and sugar to make a smoothie. If you want to learn how to cook your papaya and include it in your meals, keep reading the article!Did this summary help you?YesNo
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Reader Success Stories
Jackie Brooks
May 20, 2017
"I never knew anything about papaya. I live in Las Vegas with a variety of foods at my fingertips year-round, and I'm learning ways to prepare many new dishes. Never traveled to Hawaii or tropical areas, so I'm experimenting."..." more
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Yes No Advertisement Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Co-authored by: Jennifer Levasseur Personal Chef Co-authors: 24Updated: August 26, 2025 Views: 417,31188% of readers found this article helpful. 8 votes - 88% Click a star to add your vote
Jackie Brooks
May 20, 2017
"I never knew anything about papaya. I live in Las Vegas with a variety of foods at my fingertips year-round, and I'm learning ways to prepare many new dishes. Never traveled to Hawaii or tropical areas, so I'm experimenting."..." more
Anonymous
Jul 21, 2016
"I have never eaten a papaya, and wasn't sure what to do with it. I never would have used lemon or lime juice. Very informative."..." more
Anonymous
Jun 20, 2017
"I didn't know anything about papayas and I really wanted to try it so your article really helped a lot, thank you!"..." more
Kay Jackson
Aug 7, 2017
"All the info was useful as I have never bought or prepared papaya before."
Anonymous
Jan 7, 2017
"I had no idea what to do with the seeds. Thank you!" Share yours! More success stories Hide success stories
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How toCut a Papaya 
How toEat Passionfruit 
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Co-authored by: Jennifer Levasseur Personal Chef This article was co-authored by Jennifer Levasseur. Chef Jennifer Levasseur is a Personal Chef and the Owner of The Happy Cuisiniere based in Breckenridge, Colorado. She has over 12 years of culinary experience and specializes in Mountain and Contemporary Rustic cuisine. Moreover, she can craft dishes and modify menus to accommodate dietary restrictions, such as gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian, and dairy-free diets. In addition to a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Management from the University of Houston, Chef Jennifer holds Associate’s degrees in Culinary Arts and Baking & Pastry Arts from Houston Community College. This article has been viewed 417,311 times. 8 votes - 88% Co-authors: 24 Updated: August 26, 2025 Views: 417,311 Categories: Eating Techniques Article SummaryX
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1 Pick local fruit. As with all fruit, papaya is the best when locally grown and picked. If it is available in your area, pick or purchase it for the best taste. If not, try to choose fruit imported from areas closest to your location to insure freshness and flavor. 
2 Try kapaho papaya. This papaya is grown in Hawaii and Costa Rica, and is known for a small to medium sized fruit with sweet, yellow flesh. Advertisement 
3 Try a Mexican papaya. Mexican papayas are much larger than kapaho papayas, and have orange or red flesh on the inside. They are known for the tendency of having a bland or bitter flavor. Advertisement 
1 Refrigerate the papaya. Although papayas can be eaten at room temperature, the flavor is best when served cold. Place a whole or halved papaya into the fridge to prepare it. 
2 Slice the fruit in half. Papayas are very soft and can be cut with a spoon, but for a smooth edge use a paring knife. Scoop out and discard the black seeds at the center with a spoon.[1] 
1 Try green papaya salad. A traditional Thai dish, green papaya salad combines the sweet papaya with tomatoes, chilli peppers, lime, garlic, and fish sauce. Serve it cold for a refreshing introduction to a meal.[4] 
2 Bake papaya bread. Similar to a banana bread or zucchini bread, papaya bread is a sweet dessert made from fresh fruit, nuts and spices. 
3 Make papaya sorbet. Sorbet is a fruit-based ice cream perfect for a warm day. Make papaya sorbet by blending the fruit with water, sugar, and lemon juice before freezing. Serve with fresh papaya to cool off poolside in the summer. 
Ways to Include Papayas in Meals 
Community Answer You could, it won't hurt you, but most people don't. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 0 Helpful 18 
Community Answer Buy a papaya when it is half green and half yellow. It will further ripen at home at room temperature and will be ready to eat when it is predominantly yellow. Papayas will ripen more quickly when put in a paper bag with ethylene-producing fruits, such as apples or bananas. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 8 Helpful 26 
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