Getting Started with Papaya Soup
So, after my little one arrived, I was on the hunt for anything and everything to help with milk supply. You know how it is, right? You hear all sorts of old wives’ tales and tips from other moms. One thing that kept popping up was green papaya soup. I was a bit skeptical, not gonna lie, but hey, I was willing to try almost anything at that point to make sure my baby was getting enough.
Why Green Papaya, Though?
I did a tiny bit of digging – well, mostly I just asked around and skimmed some stuff online. Turns out, the unripe, green papaya is the one people talk about for milk. Not the sweet orange one you eat for breakfast. They say this green kind can help your body make more oxytocin. That’s the hormone that helps with milk let-down, and apparently, it can also give your mood a little boost. And let’s be real, a happier mom probably makes for a smoother milk-making process. Sounded good enough for me to roll up my sleeves and give it a real try.
My Kitchen Adventure: Making the Actual Soup
Alright, so here’s how I actually went about making this famed soup. It’s not complicated, thankfully, because who has the energy for complex recipes when you’re barely sleeping?
First, I had to get the stuff:
- I made a trip to our local Asian market. That’s usually your best bet for finding a really green, hard papaya. You want it firm, like a rock.
- I also decided to use pork ribs. Some recipes call for fish, often snakehead fish, but ribs felt more straightforward for my first attempt. Plus, I like pork broth.
- A decent-sized piece of ginger was a must. I think ginger makes every soup better, gives it a nice kick.
- Sometimes I’d throw in a few red dates or goji berries if I had them, but mostly I kept it pretty basic, especially in the beginning.
Then, the prep work started:
This part takes a little bit of effort, but it’s not too bad. I washed the papaya really well under running water. Then came the peeling. That green papaya skin is pretty tough, so I used a good, sharp vegetable peeler. Once it was peeled, I sliced it in half down the middle and got to work scooping out all those little black seeds. Man, there are always so many seeds! After that, I just chopped the papaya flesh into fairly big chunks. You don’t want them too small, or they’ll dissolve.
For the pork ribs, I blanched them. Just tossed them into a pot of boiling water for a couple of minutes, then drained and rinsed them. This step gets rid of any gunk and helps make the soup broth clearer and taste cleaner. I also sliced the ginger into a few thick pieces, no need to get fancy with mincing.
And finally, cooking the soup:
I chucked the blanched pork ribs and the ginger slices into my big soup pot. I added enough water to cover everything well, with a bit extra. I brought it all to a rolling boil, then turned the heat down low, covered the pot, and just let it simmer away for at least an hour. The goal was to get those ribs really tender and to let the broth develop some good, porky flavor.
After about an hour, or whenever the ribs seemed pretty tender, I added the green papaya chunks to the pot. I’ve heard some people add it earlier, but I was worried it would turn into complete mush if cooked for too long. I let everything simmer together for another 30 to 45 minutes. Basically, I cooked it until the papaya was soft enough to easily pierce with a fork but still held its shape. I seasoned it with a bit of salt right at the end. That’s it! Super simple.
The Big Question: Did It Actually Work for Milk?
So, the moment of truth: did this papaya soup magically boost my milk supply? Honestly, it’s tough to say with 100% certainty. So many things can mess with your milk, you know? Stress, sleep, hydration, who knows what else.
But, I did feel like it helped me. Maybe it was just the extra fluids from the soup, or the warmth and comfort of it. Or maybe there’s really something to that oxytocin stuff they talk about with green papaya. Heck, it could have just been the power of suggestion – me believing it would work, so it did!
What I can tell you for sure is that the soup itself was pretty tasty in a mild, comforting way. It wasn’t some miracle cure where I woke up overflowing the next day. But I started making a big pot every few days and would have a bowl regularly. It felt nourishing, and I generally felt pretty decent. My mood seemed stable, which, like they say, probably didn’t hurt the milk situation any.
It wasn’t a dramatic, overnight change. But I felt like I had a steady, reliable supply, and that took a lot of stress off my shoulders. Plus, it was a nice, savory change from just chugging plain water all day long.
My Final Thoughts on This Whole Papaya Soup Thing
So yeah, that’s my story with green papaya soup for lactation. It’s a pretty straightforward, wholesome soup to make. If you’re in that new mom phase and looking for things to try to support your milk supply, I’d say it’s worth a shot. It’s not a guaranteed magic fix, but it’s one of those traditional remedies that tons of moms swear by. And even if it doesn’t turn you into a milk machine, you still get a delicious, warm bowl of soup out of the deal. That’s always a win in my book, especially when you’re tired and just trying to do your best. I actually kept making it sometimes even after I wasn’t so worried about milk, just because I grew to enjoy it.
