National papaya month

Papaya, pawpaw, papaw, tree melon -- any way you say it, June is National Papaya Month.

Christopher Columbus once called the papaya the "fruit of the angels," and for good reason! This fruit that is slightly larger than a mango is bursting with nutritional goodness. It's full of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.

Thought to be from Central America, papayas grow on trees in hot climates and have a green skin, orange flesh and black seeds. Picking a ripe papaya can be tricky: As it ripens, its flesh will turn from green to yellow, and don't worry if it looks slightly bruised.

Try pawpaw (as us South Africans say) for breakfast with some plain yogurt, honey and walnuts.