This is my favorite Brazilian dessert. In Portuguese it's called Creme de Papaia. Actually to be more precise: Creme de Papaia com Cassis – which means Papaya Cream with Blackcurrant Liquor. I was obsessed with this sweet, cool, refreshing dish when I lived in Brazil in the early 2000s. It was created in the 1980s and was very popular throughout the 1990s in Brazil.
The papaya most likely originated in southern Mexico, and spread throughout the region and the rest of the world when the Spanish and Portuguese conquistadors brought the seeds with them on their journeys. Papaya is now cultivated in most tropical countries as it is very sensitive to low temperatures and frost. The largest plantations in Brazil can be found in the state of Espírito Santo and in the northeast part of the country.
Papaya is a great source of Vitamin A, B and C. It is commonly used as a meat tenderizer, but it is also used to ferment liquors, and as soap for washing clothes. Papaya possesses a number of medicinal benefits, including contributing to weight loss or lowering cholesterol.
If you buy a green papaya, you can wrap it in newspaper or a paper bag until it is ripe. Once it is ripe, the fruit can be kept in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 weeks.
Now go ahead and make this super simple dessert! So quick and easy to prepare, but yet so elegant and impressive.
Enjoy! 💗Helena
INGREDIENTS (6 servings):
- 1 large, ripe papaya (leave in the fridge for a bit before cutting it up)
- 6 scoops of vanilla ice cream
- Crème de Cassis (blackcurrant liquor) or non-alcoholic blackcurrant syrup or grenadine if you're serving to children
- Mint leaves for decoration
DIRECTIONS:
- Peel, deseed and cut the papaya into pieces.
- Blend quickly the papaya chunks and the ice cream scoops in a blender until reaching a smooth consistency.
- Pour into individual glass bowls or cups.
- Top with Crème de Cassis and decorate with some mint leaves.
- Ready to serve right away!
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