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.

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.

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

Papaya is packed with vitamin C and beta-carotene; endive is an excellent source of fiber and vitamins A and C.

Use red-fleshed papayas, such as Sunrise Solo or Maradol. Be sure to ask your grocer which ones will have flesh with a rosy hue since a papaya’s skin and shape may not be a good indication of its interior color.