Here lies perhaps our favorite fruit of India, the sunset-colored papaya. For the four months we've been here, papayas have been in season and available at every cafe, bus station, train stop, market, road-side stand -- or basically any corner, anywhere. I met the wonders of papaya during my first trip to India, when I was recovering from the fact that mango season was in late March-June. I thought my heart belonged to the mango, and it still beats strong -- they're just not here in India during the fall and winter months. That said, a chilled papaya, with a liberal smattering of fresh lime juice, is a succulent and sensual snack. Their orange flesh is almost human and both D and I delight in scraping across the whitish layer on top, giving the fruit a big scar. We are papaya murderers, with our bellies the most avid killers of all. Price check? 30 rupees for two small ones (better for ripening rotation). Blessed papaya season, I will miss you in the cold Pacific Northwest winters of my future.
i remember the first time i tasted a papaya...it was on my honeymoon too!...but in mexico....on a veranda overlooking the morning beach with some soft, warm sun. certainly i had never experienced such a day in cold new york...and never experienced a sun-filled papaya, an exotic treat in those days before globalized groceries. it's fun to read about your experiences...and share, what food does, our common loves! CR
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