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Papaya Leaves Delivery or Pickup
The Instacart guide to papaya leaf
While many people enjoy the sweet, flavorful fruit of papayas, the leaf of this tropical tree can also be enjoyed. The papaya leaf can be steamed and eaten as fresh greens, added to stir-fries, used as a side dish, made into tea, or juiced to help with digestive issues or to help reduce fever symptoms.
A compound found in papaya leaf and the fruit, papain, helps break down proteins. When you eat papaya leaf, raw papaya, or even their seeds, the papain can help resolve digestive issues associated with poor assimilation of meat proteins. Young, fresh papaya leaf has a sweet, delicate, slightly astringent flavor similar to baby Swiss chard or baby beet greens. When the leaves are fully mature, they lose some of the sweetness and become bitter.
Papayas are in the Caricaceae family, and papaya leaves are botanically classified as Carica papaya. Papaya trees grow in tropical climates, and in Australia and the West Indies, papaya is known as Pawpaw or Papaw. You can eat the fruit, seeds, and leaves of the papaya tree. In addition to eating papaya leaf fresh, drinking it in tea, or juicing the leaves, you can make a type of poultice with it and apply it to your face as a mask. The antioxidants in the leaf help pull out impurities and moisturize dry or cracked skin.
When you want fresh or dried papaya leaf to steam, fry, juice, or make tea with, enjoy the convenience of having papaya leaf delivered to you through Instacart. Place your order for papaya leaf from the Instacart website or through the app on your smartphone, and an Instacart shopper will deliver the papaya leaf to you on the same day!
About papaya leaf
Papaya trees are native to southern Mexico, Central America, and South America. Once explorers discovered the varying uses for papayas, they brought the trees with them, and papayas were distributed throughout the Caribbean islands, into Southeastern Asia, Africa, Australia, and North America. Most papaya trees grown today are cultivated in Australia, Southeastern Asia, Mexico, and parts of the United States.
Rural people from Sri Lanka, India, and Indonesia use the sap from the papaya tree and juice from the leaf to treat a variety of disorders. In some communities, the papaya leaf is rolled into a type of cigar that may help alleviate asthma symptoms. Some people believe that compounds in papaya leaf can help to reduce symptoms associated with dengue fever.
How to pick out papaya leaf
When looking for fresh papaya leaves, choose ones that are young with a vibrant green color. If you plan on juicing the papaya leaves, use very young, immature leaves that have a sweet flavor to them. For teas, you can use either fresh papaya leaf of any age, or use dried leaves to make the tea.
How to store papaya leaf
To get the optimum amount of flavor and nutrients from fresh papaya leaves, store them in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to five days. If you juice the leaves, put the juice into an air-tight container in the refrigerator and use the juice within four to five days.
Papaya Leaves Near Me
Buy your favorite Papaya Leaves online with Instacart. Order Papaya Leaves from local and national retailers near you and enjoy on-demand, contactless delivery or pickup within 2 hours.
FAQs about papaya leaf
You can make an interesting stir-fry with papaya leaves. Rinse the leaves in freshwater, roughly chop them, blanch them in hot water for a couple of minutes, and then add them to a hot pan with garlic, ginger, green onions, and Thai chili peppers. Add cubes of pork or browned tempeh to the stir-fry for protein. Make a zesty Caribbean-inspired soup by adding blanched fresh papaya leaves to a pot with fried garlic, hot chilies, and fresh or canned coconut milk.
People drink papaya leaf tea to help with digestive issues, help reduce or alleviate dengue symptoms, and reduce fevers associated with malaria and dengue. To make the juice, take fresh, young leaves, wash them, chop finely, and add them to a blender with water or your favorite fruit juice. Papaya leaves can have a bitter quality to them, so you may want to add a bit of coconut sugar, honey, or stevia to brighten up the flavor.
Papaya leaf tea has a strong, earthy, almost nutty flavor that lends itself well to a spoonful of honey. When using fresh papaya leaves, chop the leaves and place them in a saucepan covered with water. Bring the concoction to a boil, then simmer the leaves for about 20 minutes. Then, strain the leaves out and drink the tea, either hot or cold. If you're using dried papaya leaf, place the leaves into a teapot, add boiling water, and let it sit for about 30 minutes to draw out the nutritional benefits.