I am not a fresh fruit guy (much to my housemates’ disdain), but I find relegation of pawpaws to traditional songs and small farmers markets a fascinating commentary on how food is produced and sold in the United States.
Meet the pawpaw, America’s forgotten fruit
The pawpaw, the largest edible fruit native to the US, is unknown to most people. Yet it has earned a loyal following among those who are familiar with it. A new book peers into the pawpaw’s storied past, how its popularity has grown today, and why it’s not a staple in the produce aisle.
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I don't believe I"ve ever come across pawpaw. Most intriguing…
More on paw-paws:
http://www.appalachianhistory.net/2015/09/way-down-yonder-in-paw-paw-patch.html
http://www.mindspring.com/~erhoades/writings/pawpaws_01/index.htm
http://agr.georgia.gov/is-that-a-pawpaw-in-your-pocket.aspx
Weird. I've heard the name, but never knew what it was.
This reminds me of the time we were downtown in the New England suburb I lived in with my first wife and eagerly eating mulberries off a tree next to a bank. Passers by were amazed they were edible. Whereas my wife, being from Iran, considered this as normal as eating raspberries from a wild bush.
I grew up in Arkansas, and there are pawpaw trees around. Sadly I never found one bearing fruit, but my dad used to eat them fairly regularly as a kid.
Well, heck. I guess when next I walk in the woods I better start looking for paw paws.
One caveat: "Annonacin is a neurotoxic chemical compound found in some fruits such as the paw paw (custard apple), soursop, and others from the family Annonaceae. It is a member of the class of compounds known as acetogenins. Although annonacin-containing fruit products are regularly consumed throughout the West Indies for their traditional medicine uses, there is evidence linking annonacin to the development of progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and atypical Parkinsonism in elderly men of Guadeloupe."
en.wikipedia.org – Annonacin – Wikipedia
+Dave Sill So the lesson is, don't retire to Guadeloupe?