Paw Paw varieties taste

[sneakz]

Hi everyone,

I started thinking about getting paw paw and i don’t know which variety to get, i reasercjed on ther forums and got even more confused since everyone likes different varieties.

For me, I would like one with strong banana, vanilla and crème brûlée. I was thinking about shenandoah for this but i heard it’s really bland, and I do want to actually taste flavours when eating fruits, but maybe you don’t thiks it’s that bland and it’s fine (if this is what you think please tell me)

And for the second one, I want a really tropical one, that tastes like mango, pineapple or even coconut.

It is really important the the two varieties you will recommend can pollinate eachother if they are the only one in the backyard.

As for texture, I am looking for a really mushy either custardy texture either exactly like banan puree

I don’t want to go risky and get varieties with aftertaste, so please try to avoid those.

Thank you all in advance!

[tritonus]

Hey sneakz
Pawpaws are awesome! Glad that you want a tree or two. I planted 20 last fall  .

Maybe don't rely too much on flavor descriptions like creme brulée or coconut. I have only tasted 3 different varieties so I'm not an expert, but imo such descriptions are a bit exaggerated?

To me, some were milder (like Shenandoah) some more intense (like Susquehanna or Allegheny). Mine all had that wonderful pineapple/banana/vanilla/mango flavor.

If you take two Peterson, KSU, or Lehman cultivars, I think you'll be happy.

I think I would go for Susquehanna, Potomac, Allegheny, Shenandoah (newcomers love this mild one I heard) or KSUs, or maybe even one like 'tropical treat'. Just make sure to get 2 trees at least.

[sneakz]

Thank you so much for your response, and for the effort you put in! Unfortunately I read some really questionable articles and got scared. I read that it contains neurotoxins and kills your nerves or something, I do not know if it's true but I tought it's better to not take the risk. If you know more about this, please tell me!

Thank you so much!

[tritonus]

Thank you so much for your response, and for the effort you put in! Unfortunately I read some really questionable articles and got scared. I read that it contains neurotoxins and kills your nerves or something, I do not know if it's true but I tought it's better to not take the risk. If you know more about this, please tell me!

Thank you so much!

Well, yes, pawpaws contain annonacin, which is known have neurotoxic effects in rodents. You'll find more info on that on wikipedia.

Annonacin is more concentrated in the skin and the seeds, which you won't eat.
It is not advised to eat them 365 days per year, which is impossible anyways since the season only lasts 2-3 months.

There are no scientific studies with clear evidence linking the consumtion of annonaceae to neurodegenerative diseases in humans.

So basically, if you don't eat the seeds or the skin you'll be fine, or as Dr. Kirk Pomper of KSU says:
"The pawpaw has a long history of food use and the FDA does not currently have any evidence that pawpaw is unsafe to eat."

[Hunden]

Hey sneakz
Pawpaws are awesome! Glad that you want a tree or two. I planted 20 last fall  .

Maybe don't rely too much on flavor descriptions like creme brulée or coconut. I have only tasted 3 different varieties so I'm not an expert, but imo such descriptions are a bit exaggerated?

To me, some were milder (like Shenandoah) some more intense (like Susquehanna or Allegheny). Mine all had that wonderful pineapple/banana/vanilla/mango flavor.

If you take two Peterson, KSU, or Lehman cultivars, I think you'll be happy.

I think I would go for Susquehanna, Potomac, Allegheny, Shenandoah (newcomers love this mild one I heard) or KSUs, or maybe even one like 'tropical treat'. Just make sure to get 2 trees at least.

great response
thank you for your info and for sharing experience