Cuban recipe

Papaya and Orange Drink (Refresco de Fruta Bomba)

Name: Papaya and Orange Drink (Refresco de Fruta Bomba)
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1 medium ripe papaya (about 600 g of cleaned pulp); 4 large sweet oranges, to yield about 400 ml of juice; 500 ml cold water, or to taste; 1 cup of ice, plus more as needed for serving

Homemade dairy-free drink made with ripe papaya (fruta bomba) and orange juice, served ice-cold and ready in 15 minutes. Perfect for hot weather.

CiberCubaNovember 8, 2026

AI-generated image.CiberCuba

Preparation10 min
Total time15 min
Servings4 glasses
DifficultyEasy

Ripe papaya (fruta bomba), sweet and coral-orange in color, is perfect for a simple, fresh drink. Here it is blended with freshly squeezed orange juice and diluted with water and ice, with no milk, so it stays light and can be enjoyed at any time of day.

It is a homemade drink very typical of the Cuban table when there is a very ripe papaya at home, and it is easy to find in Latin markets. It does not claim an exclusive origin: it is a homemade preparation made in many ways in the Caribbean and beyond.

Ingredients

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1 medium ripe papaya (about 600 g of cleaned pulp)
4 large sweet oranges, to yield about 400 ml of juice
500 ml cold water, or to taste
1 cup of ice, plus more as needed for serving

Method

Wash the papaya and oranges well under running water and dry them with a clean cloth.
Cut the papaya in half lengthwise, scoop out all the black seeds with a spoon and discard them. Peel the flesh, remove any remaining skin and cut it into medium chunks.
AI-generated image.CiberCuba
Cut the oranges in half and squeeze them until you have about 400 ml of juice. Strain it to remove the seeds and excess pulp.
AI-generated image.CiberCuba
Put the papaya chunks, the orange juice and half of the water in the blender. Blend for 1 to 2 minutes until completely smooth.
AI-generated image.CiberCuba
Pour the mixture into a pitcher, add the remaining water and the cup of ice and stir. Taste and adjust with more water if you want it lighter. Serve immediately in glasses with ice.
AI-generated image.CiberCuba

Tips and variations

Food safety: wash the papaya and oranges well under running water before cutting them, even if you will not eat the peel, so the knife does not carry dirt into the flesh. Use a clean board and knife. Completely remove the black seeds from the papaya before blending; do not blend them with the pulp.

Tips: choose a very ripe papaya with yellow-orange skin and soft flesh, because green or partly ripe papaya turns out bland and bitter. If the mixture is thick, add more water little by little. If the oranges are very sweet, no sugar is needed.

Variations: you can add a few drops of lemon juice for a fresher touch or a small mint leaf when serving.

Storage: it is best enjoyed freshly made. If any is left over, store it covered in the refrigerator and consume it the same day; stir it before serving because it separates.