14 Different Types of Papayas | Best Tasting Papaya Variety

Papaya varieties are plentiful and this tropical fruit is also rich in nutritional value! Here are Different Types of Papaya that you might not be aware of!

Papayas are native to Central America and Southern Mexico. This low-calorie, low-fat fruit is rich in minerals, fiber, and vitamin C. The two major varieties are Mexican and Hawaiian. Most types of papaya found in supermarkets are grown in Hawaii. Other varieties are cultivated in Mexico and tropical warm countries. Here are some of the famous different varieties of papaya!

Check out our article on growing Papaya here! 

Different Types of Papaya

1. Mexican Red/Yellow Papaya

This variety is large in size with sweet, rose-colored pulp. The yellow ones are much sweeter and have yellow flesh. They’re available throughout the year and reach up to 6-12 inches in size.

2. Hawaiian Sunrise Papaya

Also known as Strawberry papaya, its red-orange flesh is similar to berries, peaches, and melons. The seeds cavity is quite shallow, making seed removing easy. This variety is available all year round.

3. Hawaiian Sunset Papaya

Sunset papaya is a dwarf variety, originated in the University of Hawaii. It features orange-red skin and flesh. The fruit has a smaller size than sunrise papaya. It has a uniform color and shape with a longer shelf life.

4. Bettina Papaya

Bettina variety is mostly grown in Queensland, Australia. This easy to grow papaya has round fruits, each weighing around 3-5 pounds. It has sweet flesh with few seeds.

5. Guinea Gold Papaya

Guinea gold papaya is native to Western Australia. It produces pear-shaped fruits with a thin golden yellow peel and flesh. The fruit gets more than 2-3 pounds in weight and ripens over a period of 15-18 months.

6. Hortus Gold Papaya

The Hortus gold papaya is from South Africa. With bright yellow skin, it looks beautiful and produces heavy fruits, each weighing up to 3-4 pounds with yellow flesh.

7. Kamiya Papaya

Kamiya papaya was developed at the University of Hawaii. It has a sweet, yellow-orange color flesh with a delicate aroma, smooth texture, and high sugar content.

8. Kapoho Papaya

This papaya variety has a sweet, yellow flesh. It is popular and grown in the Puna district of Hawaii, where almost 90 percent of Hawaii’s papayas are cultivated.

9. Peterson Papaya

Peterson is originally from Queensland, Australia. It also has yellow skin with green blotches. The dark orange flesh has a sweet, mouth-watering taste.

10. Waimanalo Papaya

Waimanalo papaya is grown entirely in Oahu, Hawaii. It is a dwarf variety and has a high Vitamin C content. This is a fast-growing plant that produces fruits in 9-10 months.

11. Tainung Papaya

This variety is also famous as Formosa papaya. It is a hybrid of Sunrise papaya and weighs around 3-4 pounds when ripe. Tainung grows in an elongated shape with pink or light red sweet flesh.

12. Oak Leaved Papaya

Native to the Andes Mountains of Western South America, the oak leaved papaya forms 3-4 inches long, oval-shaped small fruit. The seeds of this papaya are edible along with orange-colored sweet pulpy flesh.

13. Samba Papaya

This newest variety was introduced in markets in the year 2018. It grows in yellow-green spotted skin with an oval shape. The pulp is dark orange and slightly sweet in taste.

14. Royal Star Papaya

Royal star is another new member of the papaya family. It is originally from Texas and a hybrid of Mexican red. The papaya features deep orange skin with sweet and juicy pulp.

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