- Mmm...papaya... - Papaya, (Latin: Carica papaya), have been grown in the tropical regions of the world for at least as long as history has been recorded. The sweet pulpy fruit is commonly thought to have originated in the West Indies. Spanish sailors to the New World, impressed by their sweet flavor, introduced them to their colonies in Manila in the mid-1500's. From there, the fruit was brought to Malacca, then India, and finally to Hawaii in the early part of the 18th century. - When plucked a