Paiola

A novel hybrid papaya – a portmanteau of papaya and “oo la la” that, apparently, means “nutritional” in Polynesian languages.

Developed by the Malaysian Agriculture Research and Development Institute, and launched in 2007, Paiola papayas were recently nominated for an innovation award at Fruit Logistica 2009 – “the leading trade fair for the international fresh produce trade”:

The Paiola distinguishes itself from its predecessor and other traditional papaya varieties by its uniformly golden color and the firm fresh pulp of the fruit even when it is fully ripe. Thanks to Brix values of more than 13°, the fragrance and taste of the fruit are unique. ThePaiola has a shelflife of an extra two weeks, which makes cost-effective transportation by sea possible, even to destinations such as Europe. … The individual fruits weigh between 400g and 700g.

According to the Malaysian New Straits Times, the Paiola is currently at the center of government efforts to boost the country’s production and export of fruit.