Everything you need to know about pawpaws, a rare, regional treat: Where to buy and eat, plus local events

September brings the season for one of the Philadelphia region’s sweetest natural treats. It’s a fruit — in fact, North America’s largest edible native fruit — and was a favorite dessert of President George Washington. Yet few even know it exists.

What is this secret pleasure? The pawpaw, also known as the “Quaker delight,” and more recently, the “hipster banana,” nicknames that together hint at its distinctive taste.

The greenish-yellow fruit is about three to six inches long, similar in shape to a small champagne mango. Inside is a sweet, pale yellow flesh with large, easily removable black seeds and a creamy texture — too soft to dice. The flavor is full of tropical notes, like the aforementioned mango and banana, along with hints of both pineapple and papaya, and a very slight bitter element that faintly lingers after eating.

“It’s native to our region, but it’s not the easiest thing to get, so there’s this novelty aspect,” said chef Ari Miller at a 2018 “Recipes From the Paw Paw Patch” event at the Free Library of Philadelphia’s Culinary Literacy Center. “When you eat it, it doesn’t necessarily feel like a ‘luxury’ in an adult sense, but like the luxury of when you’re a child and you get a gumball or a ring pop. You sort of can’t believe you got it, which makes it that much better.”

Simply slice and slurp the custardy inside, spitting out the seeds and discarding the skin. The experience should leave your hands a little messy, a dribble of juice running down your face. It should feel delightful, kidlike, almost primal. If you’re lucky, you’ll be enjoying it under a forest canopy, the kind of setting where pawpaw trees thrive.

Pawpaw trees grow in most of the eastern half of the United States, and as far west as Nebraska. They are mentioned in a 1541 report from Hernando de Soto’s expedition of North America, and are known as a favorite of the earliest Americans.

They fell out of favor, though: Because pawpaws bruise easily, they don’t transport well, and their shelf life is short — factors that don’t line up with the business model of big agriculture.

"They're not a viable commercial crop, unlike, for instance, apples that are picked and can last for months with proper storage," says Phil Forsyth, executive director of the Philadelphia Orchard Project. "These you pick and need to eat within a few days."

Forsyth said, though, that in the Philadelphia region, pawpaws are easy to grow, and when in season, there are a variety of places to find them. The season, which got a late start due to cool spring temperatures and wet summer weather, is expected to last through early October.

The Philadelphia Orchard Project has helped to plant and cultivate pawpaw trees at a dozen sites around the city, but most locations aren’t open to the public.

When pawpaws are in season, area co-ops like Weavers Way and Mariposa Food Co-Op often have them for sale, as do some stores like Fishtown’s Riverwards Produce Market and at area farmers markets, including Weavers Way’s Henry Got Crops Farm Market at 7095 Henry Ave. and West Philly’s Clark Park at 4300 Baltimore Ave.

Feeling ambitious? Try befriending a local forager — the folks who supply area markets with the seasonal treat — and politely ask if they’ll show you the way.

“Foragers are really secretive about their locations, so don’t expect them to immediately give you directions,” said Forsyth, who has been told there are trees in Wissahickon Valley Park. He’s uncertain, though, of their exact location.

There’s always the option to grow your own. As long as you have the space, Forsyth says, cultivating the trees isn’t too challenging.

"The trees already grow wildly in Pennsylvania and basically have no pest or disease problems, so it's pretty easy to get them going, surprisingly even in urban parts of Philadelphia," Forsyth said.

The Philadelphia Orchard Project will host a plant sale in the fall. The fruit trees have previously been available at local garden centers like Collins Nursery in Glenside. Check with these local spots to get your own tree. Additional nurseries may carry the trees in the spring, when the other fruit trees become available.

"You need at least two trees in order to stimulate cross pollination and produce any pawpaws," Forsyth said. "Within three or four years, you'll have your first fruit."

Yields about one quart.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup whole milk

1 cup heavy cream

6 egg yolks

¼ cup raw sugar

1 heaping teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup of pawpaw fruit (from 2-3 pawpaws), peeled and seeded

DIRECTIONS

— Chef Ari Miller

Don’t own an ice cream maker? Find pawpaw custard at Franklin Fountain, which is set to release the flavor in the last week of September. Keep an eye on Franklin Fountain’s Instagram for exact timing.

There are several regional opportunities to find the trees in the wild with a guide leading the way. On Sept. 23, the Backyard Fruit Growers group in Lancaster County will host pawpaw tours for its members. Those interested in participating can learn more at byfg.org.

Farther north, in Branchburg, N.J., West Farm Nursery will host events (Sep. 16 and 23, and Oct. 7) featuring a discussion on how to grow pawpaws in a garden or farm. Register online.

Be sure to check in with Meetup group Wild Foodies of Philly for other events.

In York County, the Horn Farm Center is hosting the 19th Annual Pawpaw Festival, featuring fruit and trees for sale, cookbooks, arts and crafts, and more. Find more details at hornfarmcenter.org.

Organic farmer Jose Spellman Lopez will swing by Pleasant Playground Community Garden in Mount Airy on Sept. 9 to host a Paw-Paw and Habanero Hot Sauce Workshop. It’s a chance to learn more about the fruit and its practical applications.

This story has been updated.