🍲 Iragimun (Stewed Papaya and Pork)

"Iragimun" is made with papayas that are still green and not ripe, and this type is referred to as "vegetable papaya." Meat, tofu, and kombu (=kelp) are simmered with papaya and seasoned with miso. In the past, people made miso at home and homemade miso was used to make this dish. When papayas are boiled, its texture becomes similar to daikon radish. Papayas before they ripen are treated like vegetables in Okinawa and are used to make a variety of dishes such as stir-fries, salads, meat or fish dishes, and "chanpuru" made with tofu. In Yaeyama district, people grow papaya trees in their home gardens. Papayas are said to be good for improving the flow of breastmilk and is said to be effective against heart disease. Papayas contain papain, an enzyme that breaks down protein and fat, and in recent years vegetable papayas have attracted attention as a diet food. It also contains high levels of vitamin C and minerals.