Papaya!

i normally hate papaya.

always have. even as a kid when i spent my sweltering hot summers in tropical taiwan, surrounded by more exotic fruits than you can imagine. each time i succumbed to the enticingly cool, juicy flesh, the aftertaste of rotting vomit was such an affront to my taste buds that i’d steer clear of a five foot radius of the stuff for years. until i forgot just how awful it was, taste it again, then start the cycle over and over again.

needless to say it’s been awhile since my last tasting. at least five years now.

so my mother handed me a couple last weekend. and today i am really low on snacks in the house. believe it or not when it’s 11:30pm and i’m hungry with an empty pantry, warm vomit sounds almost palatable.

and whaddya know! it IS palatable. QUITE palatable. darn GOOD i might add. two explanations exists:

1. this is a different species. i believe my mother said she got it from the local mexican supermarket. shrug. it’s a bit smaller, less orangy-red and more yellowy-orange than what i remember. also my mother suggested squeezing some lemon juice over it before digging in. all i had was a lime. it was divine. (haha.)
2. i am getting old and my tastes are simply evolving. this is one of many on a list of crap i use to hate.

i like reason 1 better. only because it does not involve my age.

oh and PS: yes that is a YELLOW le creuset in the background. my xmas present. 5 qt. i also have a green 7 qt now. i love my mommy (: