The elongated oval fruits of the Formosa papaya can grow up to 80 cm long and weigh up to 9 kg, but fruits up to 2 kg are most often chosen for export. This variety has firmer flesh, a fuller tropical taste and a slightly sweet aroma. Ripe papaya is soft and elastic to the touch. It is eaten without skin and without seeds.

After halving, the seeds are hollowed out, the skin is peeled and the pulp is cut, or the pulp can be scooped out without seeds with a spoon. It is excellent either raw and without additives, drizzled only with lime or lemon, or in fruit and vegetable salads, desserts and cocktails. It also tastes great in savoury cuisine in combination with curry spices and mild types of meat – seafood or poultry. Unripe fruits are also used mainly in Thai cuisine. In this form, papaya is used as a vegetable and is cooked in stewed mixtures, various variants of curry and in salads.

Papaya is one of the healthiest fruits, it contains vitamins A, B and C and a large amount of calcium. It supports healthy digestion as it contains the digestive enzyme papain. Thanks to this enzyme, it is used in marinades, in which even very tough meat is perfectly tender. At the same time, it is very well digestible, contains almost no acids and has a low caloric value.
The homeland of papaya is southern Mexico and Guatemala, but it is also commonly grown in southern Africa, Southeast Asia or Hawaii.