(Photo by Tyrone Turner/WAMU)
It’s a delicious paradox: a tropical-tasting fruit that grows wild in D.C.’s own backyard. It’s the pawpaw, and its legend seems to grow every year.
WAMU has christened it the “hipster banana.” José Andrés has waxed poetic about the joys of foraging for pawpaws with his daughter. A Rockville festival celebrates the elusive fruit this weekend. But all the pawpaw-palooza has a downside: It makes it that much harder for people to get their paws on them.
Why the obsession? Start with the pawpaw’s pronounced aroma, both fruity and floral, explains Jim Davis of Maryland’s Deep Run Pawpaw Orchard. Then there’s the taste: a symphony of tropical notes like mango, banana, and pineapple. The fruit works in breads and jams, but also in ice cream, sorbet, and beer, Davis says. “Each pawpaw variety has its own subtle differences in taste, which adds to the fun of exploring different cultivars of the fruit,” he adds.
September marks the official start of pawpaw season, but it’s tough to find on menus from even the most locavore-friendly restaurants.
“The biggest challenge is sourcing them consistently and finding good quality fruit,” says Jeremiah Langhorne, chef at The Dabney in Shaw, which regularly sources from the region. “Because they are foraged, oftentimes you get a lot of ripe fruit at once instead of in smaller amounts every few days as you would usually need for a restaurant.”
This weekend’s Pawpaw Festival at Meadowside Nature Center is a sure bet to get your hands on some pawpaws—if you arrive early enough. For the $5 admission fee, you’ll get access to a limited supply of pawpaws for sale, plus tastings and tips on cultivation.
Pawpaws have greenish-gold skin and can be pickle-shaped or avocado-shaped. (Photo courtesy of Deep Run Orchard)
After that, you could try your luck hunting for pawpaws on the Billy Goat Trail or Scott’s Run Nature Preserve. But your odds are best at D.C.’s farmers’ markets, even though finding them is still something of a quest.
“The dates for harvesting wild pawpaws are a bit variable each year, so it’s hard to say when we will have some,” says Attila Agoston, whose Loudon County Mountain View Farm sells at the 14th and U Street Farmers Market (2000 14th St. NW) and Bloomingdale Farmers Market (First and R Sts. NW). “They’re very perishable, so we basically have to bring them [to sell] the day after we pick. That’s the nature of wild pawpaws: ephemeral and slightly mysterious.” Typical price ranges he’s seen are $6 to $10 per pound, and he plans to sell by the pint.
Calomiris and Sons, the 55-year Eastern Market (225 7th St. SE) fruit and vegetable stand, should be getting a delivery of pawpaws “shortly,” and plans to sell the fruit for $4.98 per pound, says market manager Barry Margeson.
Elisa Lane cultivates more than 30 pawpaw trees on Two Boots Farm, her property northwest of Baltimore. She’s still working out her prices, but look for her pawpaw pop-ups at the Takoma Park Farmers’ Market (6909 Laurel Ave.) on Sept. 23, the Dupont Circle FRESHFARM Market (1500 20th St. NW) on Sept. 30 and Oct. 14, and the Silver Spring FRESHFARM Market (890 Ellsworth Dr.) Oct. 6. Get there early. “We will sell out each time,” she says.
Country Pleasures Farm expects to grace the Silver Spring FRESHFARM market with pawpaws from their Maryland orchard in about two weeks, says co-owner Eric Rice. Historically, they’ve sold the fruit for $5 per pint.
If your quest to buy pawpaws in person fails, try placing an online order for Deep Run’s pawpaws though Earthy Delights.
And finally, for something that’ll last beyond the blink-and-you-missed it pawpaw season, pop by Glen’s Garden Market (2001 S St. NW) and pick up pawpaw vinegar from Lindera Farms. It’ll work in any recipe that calls for apple cider vinegar or honey, and it’ll give umbrella cocktails a tropical twist.
