Usage Note
Papaya serves double duty in Filipino cooking: the unripe green fruit is a staple vegetable in savory dishes like tinola, while the ripe orange flesh is eaten fresh as a dessert. It is also widely used as a natural meat tenderizer in marinades and stews.
Examples
" Matamis ang papaya. "
Natural Translation
The papaya is sweet.
Literal Translation
Sweet the papaya.
" Hilaw pa ang papaya. "
Natural Translation
The papaya is still unripe.
Literal Translation
Unripe yet the papaya.
" Ginagamit ng aking lola ang hilaw na papaya bilang gulay sa tinola at ang hinog naman bilang panghimagas. "
Natural Translation
My grandmother uses the unripe papaya as a vegetable in tinola, while the ripe one she uses as dessert.
Literal Translation
Uses of my grandmother the unripe papaya as vegetable in tinola and the ripe meanwhile as dessert.
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