The pawpaw is a small tree or shrub that rarely grows to more than 15 m in height. The trunk is slender and the bark on older trees has shallow furrows. The membranous leaves can be quite long, expanding up to 40 cm when including the stalk that attaches the leaf to the branch. The pawpaw tree will grow in full sun or dense shade but will have denser growth in the sun.

Like many fruits, pawpaws are rich in nutrients like vitamins and minerals. Pawpaws are especially high in vitamin C, magnesium, manganese, and iron.

In addition to vitamins and minerals, pawpaws contain a variety of plant compounds, including phenolic compounds like epigallocatechin, epicatechin, chlorogenic acid, and p-coumaric acid, which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties

Paw paws can be eaten raw or cooked. A ripe pawpaw has an almost liquid texture with a pungent, sweet smell and a taste reminiscent of tropical fruits such as mangoes and bananas.

If you like and have access to pawpaws, try to include them in your diet. However, keep in mind that pawpaws can be hard to find and are highly perishable, so they’re not readily available to most.

Like bananas, pawpaw used well with dairy products. Stir it into yogurt, add it to oatmeal, or even spread it onto toast. Or take advantage of the pawpaw’s creamy flavor and texture and make it into pudding, panna cotta, flan, ice cream or cheesecake.

Pawpaw can also be baked into breads, cakes, muffins, and cookies. The flesh has a texture that is almost a puree, so it can be used as a wet ingredient in recipes.

Adding pawpaws in your daily diets is a good habit for the people who are health conscious.