NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Have you ever heard of the pawpaw fruit?
According to the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, the pawpaw is the largest fruit native to North America. The green egg-shaped fruit grows between two and six inches long.
University of Tennessee horticulturist Karen Caspary said the pawpaw was a very popular fruit for Native Americans and was fairly popular up to the early 1900s. She said the industrialization of our food after World War II is why it has become forgotten. She said pawpaw doesn’t transport well because it is very soft. It can be grown in your backyard, but it is difficult to pollinate.
“It can be a great exercise to grow your own pawpaws if you plan and have the time. Going out to the woods to search for pawpaws is also a really fun adventure and can connect you with the local ecosystem, as well as, make some friends along the way,” Caspary told News 2.
According to Caspary, the pawpaw tree tends to grow near rivers and wet areas. She said the fruit tastes like a mix between a banana and a mango and in Tennessee, they reach peak ripeness in September.
Caspary who has been working with the pawpaw fruit, said she is thrilled to see the forgotten fruit gaining popularity.
“I’m really excited that people are getting more interested in pawpaw. Because not only are they really cool fruit horticulturally and culinarily, but they’re also very rich in history. There are so many legends and lore and stories about the pawpaw and I think that as people start learning about them, they start also connecting to their heritage,” she said.
News 2 called a few Middle Tennessee nurseries and found that South Branch Nursery in Murfreesboro doesn’t have any in stock right now, but they said they have them from time to time.