Apple, banana, pawpaw? It doesn’t quite roll off the tongue and is much less familiar, so what exactly is a pawpaw? “It’s a tropical fruit that thrives in the temperate climate of the eastern United States,” shares Chef Patrick O’Connell of Three MICHELIN Star and Green Star The Inn at Little Washington. “It grows in the wild and does particularly well near wetlands. Pawpaws have a creamy, custardy texture that is similar to bananas and mangoes.”
We recently sat down with Chef O’Connell to learn more about the historic fruit and how he works them into the menu at his award-winning restaurants.
Streulicht / Adobe Stock | Pawpaw tree
When is the season and where can you find them?
In our region, pawpaws are harvested during the summer up until the first frost.
The pawpaw was a favorite fruit of early American colonists. Thomas Jefferson cultivated the fruit at Monticello. Today, it is not well known because its fruit is delicate and doesn’t travel well. We’re fortunate to have a local farmer who grows pawpaws for us. We plan to plant our own pawpaw trees this fall.
What do you like about it?
Our use of the pawpaw provides a unique sense of place for our guests.
When we celebrated The Inn’s 40th anniversary at Mount Vernon, we researched George Washington’s style of entertaining and the dishes he served at Mount Vernon. We began recreating those dishes and found them to be delicious. Pawpaw was Washington’s favorite fruit which he particularly enjoyed as an old-fashioned posset.
Today we serve George Washington’s Pawpaw Posset as a pre dessert. Most of our guests have never tasted a pawpaw before and are enchanted with it.
Are there any other interesting details?
The pawpaw flavor is tart and refreshing. It makes a wonderful marmalade that we use as a center for our chocolate candies, which are available through our shops.
eqroy / Adobe Stock | Custardy inside of pawpaw
Hero image: Greg Powers – The Inn at Little Washington / The Inn at Little Washington | George Washington’s Pawpaw Posset
