The texture of ripe pawpaw is described as creamy and custard-like. Plus, a number of commercial pawpaw cultivars are grown in the United States, including Overleese, Taytwo, Mary (Foos) Johnson, and Sunflower, which may have flavor differences ( 4, 5, 6). However, it’s important to note that there are several types of wild pawpaw, some of which don’t have a pleasant taste. Pawpaws are prized for their flavor, which is described as a tropical blend of mango, banana, berries, and pineapple ( 3, 4). Pawpaws are oblong green fruits that have large, black, lima-bean-shaped seeds. They’re the largest edible fruit native to North America and have a sweet, tropical taste. Pawpaws are the fruit of the Asimina triloba tree, which is native to the eastern United States and southern Canada. What’s more, the wide distribution of pawpaw throughout the Eastern United States is likely partly due to Indigenous People growing and trading it, unintentionally dispersing its seeds across the region ( 3).įossilized remains of pawpaws have been found all over the Northeastern United States, including along the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers and at archaeological sites in several states, including Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, and Mississippi ( 3). Indigenous People used the bark of the pawpaw tree to make rope and cloth as well. It’s important to note that, although the first documented report of this fruit that scholars have access to comes from a Portuguese explorer in 1541, Indigenous People started growing and eating pawpaw long before that ( 1).

The Native American term for the fruit was assemina ( 3).

They’re considered the largest edible fruit native to North America, measuring 2–6 inches (5–16 cm) and 1–3 inches wide (3–7 cm) ( 3).Īccording to historical documentation, “pawpaw” is a Spanish name given to the fruit by members of conquistador Hernando de Soto’s party during a colonization attempt in the Southeastern United States. Pawpaws are the northernmost member of the Annonaceae plant family, which consists mainly of tropical and subtropical plants ( 1, 2).

Monkey paw fruit machine