During each of the past two Septembers, I’ve dipped my Old Town Pack canoe into the Potomac River and gone searching for America’s largest edible native tree fruit. I’m referring, of course, to the pawpaw — a fruit resembling the potato in appearance (though not at all in taste or texture) that hangs in late summer in pendulous bunches from moderately sized trees.
I didn't learn about pawpaws until I'd moved away from the east coast, but I've developed a similar relationship with stinging nettle, which is abundant in the Pacific Northwest where I live now. The window of edibility is somewhat narrow and it's a bit tricky to work with flavor-wise (to say nothing of the sting). Occasionally I come across it in restaurants--I had a nettle soup a few years ago that was delicious--but I rather like that it's unlikely to go mainstream.
Thanks for reminding me about pawpaws!
I didn't learn about pawpaws until I'd moved away from the east coast, but I've developed a similar relationship with stinging nettle, which is abundant in the Pacific Northwest where I live now. The window of edibility is somewhat narrow and it's a bit tricky to work with flavor-wise (to say nothing of the sting). Occasionally I come across it in restaurants--I had a nettle soup a few years ago that was delicious--but I rather like that it's unlikely to go mainstream.