Green Papaya

Thai: ????????? (malagaw dip)

Even though Papaya is actually a fruit, when eaten unripe it’s not sweet at all, and is crunchy like a vegetable. So forgive the mis-categorization! Green, unripe papaya is shredded to make the famous spicy Thai salad called Som Tum. Green papaya is available in most Asian markets. The skin should be a dark forest green, the flesh a light greenish white and the seeds white. The seeds turn brown and then black as the fruit ripens, and the flesh turns light pink/orange before turning dark orange when ripe. If you get an unripe papaya which has started ripening (ie, brown seeds), try to use the flesh on the outer part of the fruit, the whiter/greener the better.

Storage: Store unripe papaya covered in the refrigerator. The longer you store, the more it will ripen, so use it sooner than later. If making som tum, you can shred the papaya and leave in a bag in the refrigerator for a day or two before making.