The revival of a forgotten American fruit (BBC) {old article, but interesting}
By Jonathan Shipley
26th April 2022
Across large swaths of North America, an ancient fruit is growing wild but largely forgotten. However, a community of foodies, farmers and scientists is eagerly trying to change that.
(This year, we published many inspiring and amazing stories that made us fall in love with the world – and this is one our favourites.)
"Where, oh where, is pretty little Suzie? Where, oh where, is pretty little Suzie? Where, oh where, is pretty little Suzie?" asks the traditional folk song. "Way down yonder in the pawpaw patch."
Suzie knows more about pawpaws than most, it seems. North America's largest native edible tree fruit grows wild in 26 US states, including Texas, Ohio, West Virginia, New York and Michigan and all the way up to Ontario, Canada. Yet most people have never heard of it.
That's because pawpaws have never been sold on a large scale. Commercial farmers have long shunned them because they need a special growing environment of low, wet areas and because they spoil only a few days after harvest – so you won't see the yellow-green fruit next to the grapes at the grocery store. Nevertheless, a community of avid pawpaw fans across the US – from festival organisers and chefs to scientists and independent farmers – is expanding the love for this forgotten fruit, and they want you to love it too.
"They are so delicious," said Michael Judd, author of For the Love of Paw Paws: A Mini Manual for Growing and Caring for Paw Paws – From Seed to Table. During the harvest season (typically a few weeks in late summer or early autumn), his diet consists mainly of pawpaws taken right off the branch. "It's a nutrient-rich superfood," he added, listing off the pawpaw's many attributes: antioxidants, all the amino acids, magnesium, copper, zinc, iron, potassium, phosphorus, vitamin C.
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more: https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20220425-the-revival-of-a-forgotten-american-fruit
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