It’s always useful to know how to pick good food at the grocery store. Some things are harder than others. Just recently I bought a large papaya but when I cut into it, it was still green. (I have since watched a youtube video explaining how to tell if it is ripe before cutting it. See videos below.)

Rather than waste this very expensive fruit, which will not ripen any further after cutting, I found a classic Thai salad recipe that uses unripe or “green”  papayas. Unripe papaya has the same nutrients but almost no flavor on its own. Many people just hide their mistake by putting it in a smoothy, but this salad is so tasty that I intentionally buy unripe papayas now. They have a firm texture that absorbs the flavors from the dressing. Perfect no cook summer dish, fresh taste, and low in calories. BTW: This recipe makes a large salad, enough to serve 6-8, but it still tastes great the next day.

Thai Green Papaya Salad

1 large unripe papaya, cut into bite-size pieces or grated

2 cups FRESH bean sprouts (canned will not taste good because this is a raw salad)

2 tomatoes, diced

3 green onions, cut into small pieces

1/2 cup torn basil leaves

handful of fresh parsley (optional)

1/2 cup peanuts, plain or honey roasted (optional)

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Dressing

1/2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp fish sauce (found in Asian section of every supermarket—or substitute 2 additional tbsp of soy sauce or golden mountain sauce for vegans)

3 tbsp lime juice

1 tbsp honey

Hot sauce if desired.  A little spicy is good for this salad.

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Mix dressing and adjust to taste. Add papaya, sprouts, tomatoes, onions, basil and toss lightly to coat. Add peanuts if desired.

VIDEO BONUS

This is the most charming video on how to tell when a pineapple is ripe. The hand puppet makes a somewhat boring subject very fun to watch.

Here’s the one for the papaya too, but no puppet (boo!).