What fruit is the donkey or paw paw?

If you are planning a trip along the east coast of the United Statesyou might come across a fruit never heard of before in Italy: theacid. Known in the USA by names paw paw o pawpaw, is a native product of North America which, after being forgotten for a long time, US citizens are recently rediscovering. But what kind of fruit is this donkey?

Asimina or paw paw, which fruit is it?

The donkey is a spontaneous fruitnative to North America, which grows in the Eastern United States. It is found more or less in the territories between northern Florida, western New York state and eastern Kansas. The plant belongs to the family of Annonaceae and is a small tree that grows in groups in the undergrowth of areas populated by tall trees, in particular along the banks of the rivers.

Observing it, the fruit of the donkey has the shape of a pear. It has a light taste, halfway between a banana and a mango. The skin is thick and light green in colour, while the pulp is white (but sometimes yellow), soft and creamy. To eat it, it is usually cut in half and hollowed out with a teaspoon, paying attention to avoid the seeds. These are arranged in two rows and resemble large elongated beans (they can even reach 3 cm in length). The fruits they are harvested from the end of August to September, then between the end of summer to autumn. However, the flowers do not open all at once, so that maturation occurs gradually over 30-45 days.

Properties and uses of the donkey

The donkey, or paw paw if you prefer, is considered unusually rich in protein to be a fruit. It also hides a good deal of vitaminsin particular of groups A and C, of ​​mineral salts such as phosphorus, magnesium, calcium and manganese and of essential amino acids. However, there are few carbohydrates. Today, in addition to being eaten raw, the donkey is transformed into a large number of products: jams, sauces and even curry and beer.

But the most interesting use comes from the past. The fruit was particularly appreciated by American Indians not only as food, but also because it was obtained from its seeds a kind of shampoo to treat lice. The substances contained in them are indeed excellent repellent and they are the reason why the donkey plant is easily cultivable without the use of large quantities of insecticides and pesticides. Not surprisingly, the name by which the fruit is known in the United States (Pawpaw) derives from the name of tribe of native Paw Pawor Pawpaw, understood as “fruit of the Paw Paw”.

The rediscovery of the donkey – paw paw

Although the frozen donkey was George Washington’s favorite dessertthe first president of the United States of America, the fruit gradually ended into oblivion for numerous reasons. In the modern era, as processed foods grew in popularity in the United States, he took the derogatory label of peasant foodso much so that it was renamed the “poor man’s banana”.

Another reason is its great delicacy: the donkey it remains ripe for only a few days before you go bad and it bruises pretty easilycharacteristics that do not make it a product appreciated by the large agricultural industry and supermarkets, where it is difficult to find.

In recent years, however, something has changed. After the toughest phase of the Covid-19 pandemic, Americans (as well as the rest of the world) have begun to appreciate the local products of their territory and have approached the foraging. And also thanks to the enhancement activity of some realities and initiatives such as theOhio Pawpaw Festivalthe fruit is experiencing a second youth.