Papaya

Thai papaya salad is an ideal summer side dish and packs up well if you want to take it with you.

So you can't hop a flight to the Caribbean. At least you can pretend with these recipes for mangoes, pineapples, papayas, and more.

To pick a ripe papaya, look for skin that has more yellow-orange-red tones than green. It should yield slightly when gently squeezed.

The difference between this papaya salad and a Thai-style one comes down to spice and sugar, says chef and author David Tanis. The Vietnamese one is sweeter and less hot. Have all the ingredients assembled, but dress the salad just before serving.

Mild, crunchy green papaya is not the same as underripe papaya. Look for it at Asian or Mexican groceries.

If Thai food were laid out as one of those nutritional pyramids they showed you in health class, green papaya salad would be at the bottom, right above rice. In other words: It is fundamental. 

Fish and chips, when done well, is a cornerstone of British culinary success. It can be wrapped in old newspaper and eaten at the beach with a wooden fork with the same fervor and joy as a finely dined fish and chips served on white china with an expensive bottle of Chablis next to it. That comforting combination of carb and fish protein can be seen in many other cultures too. (Fish tacos, anyone?) So why wouldn’t Ghana have its own version?

Every Southeast asian country has some variation of green papaya or mango salad. Since it doesn't taste like much (nice texture, though), it's all about the supporting cast as far as delivering flavor goes. And in this version there's such a big cast that you can lose one or two items and the salad will still taste real good. You can even lose the papaya (shhhh) and make it with all the other goodies. Just don't lose the fish sauce, palm sugar, lime juice, or chili—deal? LISTEN
Mayafra Combo, "Iffilah Ha-Ha"—Sonnie Taylor from Trinidad backed up by some Italian musicians. Beautiful vocals and a moving jazz-funk vibe to keep you dancing and cooking. DRINK
A tall glass of water a little cooler than room temp. Seriously.

If you make this whole recipe, you will have enough to feed a crowd, plus you will have half of a pineapple and perhaps half of a papaya left over. The salsa is especially good atop grilled chicken or fish.

Sweet, juicy papaya does more than just stimulate the taste buds. This tropical fruit, sometimes referred to as paw paw, sweetens the nutritional pot with big doses of essential vitamins.

A sprinkle of cayenne pepper offers a bit of heat to complement the sweetness of the roasted fruit. Because they are petite, Solo papayas work best for halving into single servings; if you use Mexican papayas, quarter them instead.

Chayote is a member of the gourd family, along with cucumbers, melons, and squash; it is mild tasting, with a crisp, pearlike texture. It is often used in salads and salsas, or baked and stuffed, like other squash. If you can’t find one, you can substitute honeydew melon instead, adding it after the mixture has been cooked and allowed to cool.

Papaya supplies hefty doses of vitamin A and enzymes to aid morning digestion.

A papaya salsa with fiery Scotch bonnet chiles makes a colorful—and spicy—condiment for grilled steak. The salsa also goes well with grilled fish, particularly snapper. For less heat, seed the chiles before slicing them.

Papaya and berries add fiber and antioxidants to these breakfast cups, while mint helps soothe the digestive tract. If you use store-bought granola instead of making your own, be sure to look for varieties that are low in fat and sugar.