Ingredient Fri Oct 10 2008

Pawpaw

You could fill a book with what I don't know about pawpaws.

What I do know is that they taste like bananas, roses and mangoes -- and that, as a friend suggested, they would make awesome ice cream.

If you've ever tasted a cherimoya, then you know what you're in for with its North American cousin the pawpaw.

The pawpaws I picked up at Wednesday's Green City Market were soft, fragile and no larger than small lemons. Oriana from Oriana's Oriental Orchard fished them out of a box for me as she was closing up. I thanked her at the time, but it's clear that's not really going to cut it. I owe her a lot more than that.

Oriana also grows Asian pears and was the subject of this Chicago Reader piece a couple of years ago. You can -- and should -- find her at the Green City Market.

- Daniel Shumski