Babaco

Babaco (Carica pentagona) is a seedless, pentagonal-shaped fruit related to papayas, thought to originate in Ecuador. Golden yellow when ripe, with a delicate strawberry-like aroma, its flesh is very juicy — slightly acidic, low in sugar, rich in vitamin C; green, immature fruit serves as a vegetable, cooked much like summer squash. Traditionally grown in the Andean highlands and now cultivated under glass in New Zealand and elsewhere, babaco remains a regional specialty rather than a global commodity because its thin skin and short shelf life complicate long-distance transport. Processors handle it gently and market it fresh or as juice where it is grown.