Papaya

Today we decided to purchase a prepared papaya half with limes laid on top at Whole Foods. The flesh was orange and rather mushy to the touch, and emanated very little odor. The fruit was easily spooned out and had a stringy, but very soft texture. The taste is quite subtle, we found. My first bite did not afford me any opinion, though my second bite revealed an unpleasant vegetable-y flavor somewhat reminiscent of a very bland watermelon with hints of carrot. Subsequent bites continued to establish the flavor as both elusive and illusive, so it was clear that some mutual mastication was needed. Others that tried it spoke of coffee-like undertones and one remarked that it tasted like a tanning salon (the meaning of this will not be explored here). I also definitely detected a coffee-like undertone to certain bites. I suspect that the tenuous taste varied among different locations of the flesh.  However hard to detect the exact taste it was, it was clear that we did not enjoy this fruit and would not attempt to eat it plain and raw again. The function of the limes is still not understood, as only flesh very near to the limes acquired their flavor.


-Anthony