More about pawpaws
Frequently asked questions
The pawpaw (Asimina triloba), also known as the “Indian banana”, is a fruit that tastes of mango, banana and pineapple. Here are the answers to the questions you ask us most often.
A fresh pawpaw cut open. A ripe pawpaw has yellow, creamy flesh with a tropical-fruit aroma and large dark seeds, which are not eaten.
A pawpaw cut open after almost a month in the fridge. Brown on the outside, still edible on the inside.
01What is a pawpaw?
Asimina triloba comes from North America, where its home is the Mississippi basin. Until a few years ago it was completely unknown in Slovenia; it belongs to the custard apple family (Annonaceae). Thanks to its pleasant taste and health benefits it is very popular in its homeland, but unfortunately it is hard to market because the fruit is so delicate.
The fruit has a pleasant taste that could be described as a blend of pineapple, mango and banana. It contains three anti-carcinogenic compounds and the natural insecticide asimicin. Because of asimicin it has no pests – it acts as a natural defence mechanism and is found in the skin, the seeds and the bark.
Native North Americans ate the fruit as a rich source of vitamins, minerals and fibre. From the seeds they made a hair tonic to get rid of lice, and until recently the seeds were also used as an emetic. Because of its typical clusters (up to 9 fruits from a single flower) and its creamy flesh, the fruit has several names in America: Indian banana, paw-paw or even custard apple.
02What are haskap berries?
Haskap belongs to the honeysuckle genus (Lonicera). In Slovenia it is often called the “Siberian blueberry”, which is not actually correct – its official name is HASKAP. It is a shrub that grows 1 to 2 m tall, depending on the variety. Haskap is highly prized in Japan, where it also fetches a high price.
A row spacing of 80 to 150 cm is recommended, and in commercial orchards harvested only by machine it can be as little as 50 cm. The berries can be round, oval or elongated and weigh from 1 to 2.8 g. The average yield of a mature bush is 3 to 6 kg, sometimes more – depending on the variety, nutrition and water.
Haskap berries are exceptionally rich in vitamin C and the antioxidant resveratrol – they contain as much of it as red wine, or even more. They also contain anti-inflammatory substances: research abroad has shown that some varieties with fruit that is red right through (e.g. Indigo Gem) have an anti-inflammatory effect comparable to a 250 mg naproxen tablet. As an antioxidant it also has an anti-carcinogenic effect.
03When can I order pawpaws?
Because the fruit is extremely delicate – even touching it leaves dark brown spots on the skin – it is important that it reaches customers as quickly as possible. Despite the brown spots, the fruit is perfectly edible and sound on the inside!
Precisely because it is so delicate, we start taking pre-orders as early as July, and we keep taking orders throughout the ripening period, which ends in late October or early November. All orders are picked up at the stores of Agrolit, which ensures the fruit is transported quickly across Slovenia. You can also order and collect the fruit on the farm, but only on the days and at the times we announce on our Facebook page.
We announce the start of pre-orders and other news on Facebook and by email – you can join our mailing list here.