Pawpaw
Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) aka: american pawpaw, custard banana, prairie banana, Indiana (Hoosier) banana, Kentucky banana, Michigan banana, and Ozark banana, is a brown to yellow skinned fruit with a bright yellow custard pulp studded in the center with many oval shaped seeds.
Health benefits of Pawpaw
- Increased Protection from Bacterial and Viral Infections
- Increased Immune Function
- Reduced Cancer Risk
- Protection Against Heart Disease
- Osteoporosis Protection
- Antioxidant Protection
- Prevention of Epileptic Seizures
- Prevention of Alopecia (Spot Baldness)
Some of these health benefits come from nutrients concentrated in this food, and may not be effects of the food itself.
How to choose Pawpaw
Papaws are green when not ripe and turn to a yellow brown as they ripen. They will become very soft before they are ready to eat.
Climate and origin
Pawpaw originated from the Eastern United States. A hardy plant, it will grow as far north as New York, however, it is not widely cultivated across the world.
Taste
Pawpaws are sweet fruits with a custard texture and tropical flavor.
Substitutes with more vitamins
Mango
Miscellaneous information
Pawpaw is the largest edible fruit that is indigenous to the United States. A hearty tree, pawpaws will grow easily from their seeds, but take time to fruit.
Papayas are sometimes called "pawpaw", however, the two fruits are unrelated.