TOPEKA (KSNT) – It’s paw paw season in Kansas, one of the largest indigenous fruits in the Sunflower State and the country.
Northeast Kansas is the western-most edge of the fruit’s native area, which stretches from the east coast to Alabama, all the way to Indiana and Ohio.
The small green fruit is said to have the flavor of a banana mixed with a mango. The fruit can be used in salsas, mustards and a variety of other foods.
“Not a lot of people know about it, so it’s really something that people share [by] word of mouth a lot of times,” Joshua Wilder, a content director for Mother Earth News, said. “[It] gives you a chance to really learn more about the types of food that are from your area and from your local ecosystem.”
Peak season for paw paws varies by region. In Kansas, they generally fruit in mid-August depending on temperature and rainfall.
“The best place to find people that know about paw paws, and really any kind of local food, is your farmer’s market,” Wilder said. “You’re going to learn a lot more about these kinds of things from local farmers and foragers than a grocery store, or another other place you’re looking for food.”
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