Papaya kefir smoothie

By Nik, founder of 東歐嚴選｜kefir.link and former chef · Updated 2 November 2026

Papaya milk is one of Taiwan's classic drinks, blended from ripe papaya and cold milk and sold at juice stalls and ice-fruit parlours. This version swaps the milk for plain milk kefir, which gives the orange drink a mild sourness. Ripe papaya brings the sweetness, so a spoonful of honey is only needed when the fruit tastes a little bland.

A summer drink with several birthplaces

In Kaohsiung, papaya milk has long been a summer favourite, sold mainly by juice stalls and ice-fruit parlours that often stay open late. Who invented it is still argued over: a shop in Taichung and another in Changhua both date their papaya milk to 1958, while a Kaohsiung shop that opened in 1966 once had more than 30 branches. The drink spread further in the 1970s, as refrigerators and blenders reached ordinary homes, and many people still have a cup after a meal.

Why papaya and dairy can turn bitter

Papaya contains an enzyme that cuts casein, which makes up about 80% of milk protein, into small fragments that taste bitter. The same enzyme can make casein form curds, and acid makes it clump too, so a papaya and milk drink grows more bitter the longer it stands. Taiwanese cooks keep the fruit and dairy cold, scrape out the white membrane along with the seeds, and serve the drink as soon as it is blended. Kefir is already sour, which speeds this up, so blend the drink at the last moment and pour it straight away.

Pick the papaya by touch, not colour

The most reliable test of ripeness is to press gently around the stem end, which should feel soft. Yellow skin can mislead, because in cool, dark storage the skin yellows before the flesh is ready, and an unripe papaya tastes bitter on its own. Avoid fruit with sunken spots or brown-black skin. Frozen papaya chunks blend well too, and you can also add a banana, a squeeze of lime, a dash of cinnamon or a sprig of mint.