What’s America’s Most Glorious, Tropically Flavored Native Fruit? Pawpaws!
Every year I look forward to the early fall because that’s the short window in which I can get my grubby hands on America’s only tropically-flavored, indigenous fruit: the Pawpaw! I don’t remember how I came to know of the existence of pawpaws, only that I was jittery with anticipation for my box of ripe fruit to arrive from Integration Acres in 2014. They’re one of a few farms from which you can order pawpaws in season. Despite their homely, nondescript shape, and sad-looking appearance due to shipping, they were absolutely delicious and every bit worth the wait! I thoroughly enjoyed them and lamented having to wait a whole year before I could acquire more.
The pawpaw is North America’s largest and only tropical-flavored indigenous fruit. It is an amazing fruit that is related to tropical and subtropical fruits such as cherimoya and custard apple, yet in the last 54 million years, it has willed itself to survive and thrive in the north. It has a complex range of flavors depending on its variety and ripeness; notes of mango, banana, pineapple, cantaloupe, kiwi, strawberry, citrus, vanilla, and even caramel have been noted. It has a thin skin which when ripe can turn yellowish or brownish and yields to slight pressure. The fruit is easily eaten by cutting it in half and spooning out the smooth, custardy flesh. The hard black seeds will need to be spit out. Amazingly, its native range covers 26 states, from Maine to northern Florida and west to Nebraska. If you live in any of these states you could save the seeds and try growing pawpaws yourself!
“There is no fruit of such great excellence that has been so long neglected as the pawpaw. It was stated at the last meeting of the Indiana Horticultural Society that the pawpaw attracted more attention at the Louisana Purchase Exhibition than any other fruit on exhibition. It seemed to be but little known to most people who visited that most wonderful horticultural display. So many people wanted to taste the pawpaw that the limited number of specimens on the table had to be carefully guarded. Prof. Troop of Purdue University stated that there was such desire to sample it that a wagon load could have been disposed of easily.” — James Alexander Little, 1905
In doing research for this post, I read dozens of articles and a few books, each proclaiming that the humble pawpaw is America’s lost fruit; that it’s enjoying a certain revival…and yet it’s early October and I am unable to locate any here in NYC. I’ve searched the farmers' markets and specialty food stores all over the city. I even attempted foraging for some myself out of desperation! By the way, foraging was much more difficult than anticipated 😜, especially since my friend and I had no experience and no idea what we were doing! We came out empty-handed but I’m proud of us for finding a few trees.
The pawpaw has a long history in North America where Native Americans are recognized as cultivating it and expanding its growing range. The earliest documented mention of it is in the 1541 report of the Spanish Hernando de Soto expedition, which noted Native Americans tending it east of the Mississippi River. De Soto’s men and later settlers learned to eat and preserve the fruit, thanks to the indigenous people for whom it was an important food. The Lewis and Clark Expedition were likely saved from starvation by consuming pawpaws. It was known and loved by forefathers such as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.
Knowledge of pawpaws was more common when Americans were more connected with their food sources and harvesting food/fruit from the woods was routine. As we’ve increasingly grown removed from these sources and from nature, we’re losing this knowledge. Frankly, most of us probably wouldn’t last a day without a grocery store. West Virginia is one of the few states in the pawpaw’s range that has retained its knowledge of them because there’s still an active hunting, gardening, and foraging culture there.
You would think the rise of the self-proclaimed Foodie and the general elevation of food would bring more awareness to treasures like this but it simply hasn’t. The revival of farmer’s markets, urban community gardens, and foraging movements are going in the right direction, yet they all still feel like fringe elements. The majority of people who have seen me harvesting mulberries or rose hips don’t know or understand that these were common food items that are delicious and nutritional. There’s such a disconnect between the products we buy in stores and what we recognize out our front doors. We take it for granted that some fruits are available year-round, coming from all over the world. This remarkable, humble fruit is truly seasonal — can we appreciate it on its own terms?
“Hence it is very evident that the pawpaw will receive attention and be brought under cultivation for home and market purposes.” — James Alexander Little, 1905
There are some obvious reasons why pawpaws have not been cultivated like apples and pears on a commercial scale: they have to be picked when ripe or nearly ripe, bruise easily, and have a short shelf life; although they do well in the refrigerator for about a week if fully ripe and three weeks if a little under-ripe. Young trees need to be shaded or the leaves will burn. The root system can be weak in the first few years. Sometimes sufficient pollination is a problem because pawpaw flowers are not pollinated by bees but by flies and beetles attracted to the flowers’ faint scent of rotting meat. Pawpaw trees also seem to be self-incompatible, requiring cross-pollination between trees of different clones.
Efforts to cultivate the pawpaw are important because the destruction of its natural habitat due to urban development and farmland expansion is ever-increasing. Conservation of this native tree should be prioritized since it is part of North America’s heritage. Commercial cultivation of the pawpaw is strong in Ohio where it’s the state fruit. The Pawpaw Festival in Albany, Ohio, held in mid-September every year, just celebrated its 20th year. Pawpaw research and cultivation are also happening in Kansas, Kentucky, and Maryland, as well as a few areas outside the species’ native range such as California, the Pacific Northwest, and Massachusetts. If the deliciousness of the fruit is not enough reason for increased cultivation, perhaps the fact that it’s a good source of protein, vitamin C, magnesium, iron, and manganese are. Additionally, some studies have shown that pawpaw leaves and twigs contain substances with promising anti-cancer and pesticidal properties.
Although many reasons against cultivation have been stated, there are many factors in favor of cultivation, including the trees are relatively easy to grow once established, are drought and cold tolerant, are shade tolerant, are naturally insect-resistant, and don’t require insecticide or fungal treatment. More pawpaw trees may be planted per acre than other fruit trees if growers opt for orchard-style plantings. Once an orchard is established no transplanting is necessary. The trees almost always bear fruit once they mature — approximately five to eight years. The fruit fetches a higher price than most other local fruit because it’s rare and exclusive since it’s only available seasonally and there’s no competition from foreign importers. And if for some reason fresh eating is considered too much of a hassle, pawpaws can easily be processed into other foods such as ice cream, pies, or baked goods. They make delicious preserves and the pulp does well frozen. There are also a decent number of breweries in the mid-West making pawpaw beers. Could alcohol be the way to bring pawpaws into mainstream consciousness 🤔?
Maybe one day we will get to a point where most Americans will not only recognize but will seek out this amazing fruit — fresh, preserved, baked, and drunk! I hope you enjoyed this post and look out for my next posts, coming soon!
Fruitfully Yours,
Yen
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