The Babaco (Vasconcellea × heilbornii; syn. Carica pentagona), is a hybrid cultivar in the genus Vasconcellea from Ecuador. It is a hybrid between Vasconcellea cundinamarcensis , and Vasconcellea stipulata.
From the jungles of Ecuador and the Amazon headwaters comes the Babaco (Carica pentagona). It has been cultivated there since before the arrival of Europeans and the babaco has recently been introduced to New Zealand where it is grown commercially. In Israel and other parts of the Middle Eastern the plant is also being grown commercially in greenhouses. Steve Spangler is credited with introducing the babaco to southern California in the 1970’s. It was classified as Carica pentagona by the European plant explorer O. Heilborn in 1921.
Health Benefits of Babaco
Babaco is rich in Vitamin A and C and low in sugar. It contains the enzyme papain which helps to digest fat and proteins. These valuable enzymes are the most abundant in the skin, so all the fruit should be eaten to obtain the full value it has to offer.
