Paw Paw

A term that is used to describe a papaya in countries outside of the U.S. but a variety of fruit that is not a payaya in the U.S. As an example, the tropical variety of a papaya in Australia is referred to as a Paw Paw while in the U.S. it is often referred to as a type of banana but not a traditional banana.

The U.S. fruit known as Paw Paw, which is classified scientifically as Asimina and is indigenous to the U.S., consists of over 6 species of fruit bearing trees that grow the Paw Paw fruit. As a member of the family of plants that produce cherimoyas, custard-apples, soursops, and sweetsops, the Paw Paw tree is small in size, producing large leaves that surround the long oval-shaped fruit that buds from the branches. The soft outer skin covers a creamy banana-like pulp that tastes very similar to a ripe banana. The pulp can be removed and frozen so it can be preserved for future use. It is a good snacking fruit or a fruit to use in salads, desserts and beverages. However, it is a fruit that does not store well so it cannot be distributed and sold as easily as other varieties of fresh fruit that can be kept for longer periods of time. The Paw Paw fruit is also often referred to as paw-paw, papaw, papaya outside of the U.S., prairie banana, Hoosier banana, Kentucky banana, Michigan banana, Ozark banana, and poor man's banana.