PAPAW, Paw-Paw, Papaya

As the result of an erroneous impression that they are related, there are two entirely different fruits known under the name of "Papaw." One is a wild fruit of the middle United States; the other is a tropical product.

The North American Papaw is shaped somewhat like a short banana, but thicker. When ripe, it contains a yellowish pulp which resembles an over-ripe muskmelon in taste. It is excellent cooked, but opinions are divided as to its desirability for eating raw--some people pronounce it delicious, but its peculiar flavor is not generally appreciated.

The tropical Papaw, supplied to American markets chiefly from Florida and the West Indies, is about the size of a cantaloupe, elongated in shape and with a thick, greenish or dull-orange roughly corrugated skin. It is eaten raw with salt, being agreeable in flavor when at its best, and also cooked and pickled, particularly the last-named. It is especially noteworthy for the character of its juice, which includes a principle known as "Papain," which has much the same digestive effect as pepsin, and also "fibrine," a principle rarely found outside the animal kingdom which has been described as "blood without color."

Water containing a few drops of papaw juice is said to possess the property of imparting tenderness to tough meat immersed in it for a few minutes.