A Few More of the Pawpaw's First-time Tasters

On Wednesday this week, the final two (of four total) pawpaws were soft enough to pick. We let them ripen in the normal privileged place on the kitchen table, among the bronze quail and Mexican candlestick holders. And this evening they were ripe so we headed off for two more drive-by pawpaw tastings.

Here's what people said at the first drive-by tasting:

JR (who is a self-professed foodie and prides himself on not eating at the same restaurant twice) said: "It's real good isn't it? It tastes like candy. Candy is the first thing that comes to my mind. The flavor seems reminiscent of--related to--a tropical Starburst, I'd say. And the texture is almost candy-ish too. It's obviously less resistant than a Starburst but it seems like it's in the same family of resistance. It also feels mango-y, and maybe a little bit [mango-y] taste-wise. It feels really tropical....I should have said, it's like Starburst but without the sugar overdose."

Two of his kids asked to try some pawpaw as well. BR (about eight years old) said: "It tastes like a taste that I've never tasted before. It reminds me of a green fruit that tastes like something I've never tasted before." And KR (same age as BR) said: "It tastes unpleasant like a banana. It was also very bitter."

And here's what people said at the second drive-by tasting, at the H's house:

Joanna said: "A little sweet. Interesting. It's good. It almost tastes like an overripe banana. Almost like a custard. It reminds me of the filling of bismarck, like cream filling."

Jordan said: "I like the texture...that creaminess. It's milder and better than an overripe banana. Not quite kiwi but kind of. There's a doughiness to it, like a bread dough."

Three of their kids tried it. EH (age 12) said, "Tastes like pears and it's creamy." SH (about 9) said, "I think it tastes like banana mixed with strawberry. It tastes more like mango." And their youngest, LH, said, "It's good."

Here are the two pawpaws that were ripe. The one in the foreground was only about an inch and a half long. The one further to the back was twice as big. The one is the foreground is the one we shared at the two tasting events. And when we got home and got the kids to bed, NJ and I ate the one in the background. I kept the seeds, though there were only two seeds in the smaller fruit and three seeds in the bigger fruit. And honestly, the size of these two fruits doesn't say great things about the fruit-bearing capacity of any trees that would grow from their seeds. I told NJ that if they sprout, maybe I would give these particular seedlings to some friends I don't like very much, or even to some frenemies.