The Story of a Forgotten Fruit

Stretches of oak, hickory, and dogwood across the eastern half of the country hide a fruit that tastes more like a mango or a banana than the bittersweet blueberries or musky scuppernongs that grow nearby. Sticky and orange inside, the pawpaw is a cousin to the guanabana and cherimoya fruits sold on the street in more temperate parts of the world. Which is why it's strange that this fall, thousands of pawpaws will rot on forest floors for lack of curious foragers.