Paw Paws are a Thing דער פּאָפּאָבוים

Counter clockwise from bottom:  Paw paws, ground cherries, Michigan honey, apples and pears from Centennial Community Farm, pomegranates.

One of the mystifying songs we had to sing in grade school was "Way Down Yonder in the Paw Paw Patch."  I liked this song well enough, but it never occurred to me that paw paws were a real kind of fruit.  I thought that like wizards, dragons, flying carpets, and Kalamazoo, they were just made up for children's literature.  Last month I took a train through Kalamazoo, and this month I learned that paw paws are in fact a thing.  I can't wait to see what month  brings.

On the inside they look a little like orange cherimoyas, with soft, creamy pulp and smooth hard seeds.  The fragrance is lush and tropical with notes of mango, papaya, banana, and lichee.  It is hard to believe they are native to this cool temperate area.  I will have to wait until after the holiday to tell you how they taste.

Also photographed above are ground cherries, which you may have encountered in the Little House books and My Antonia.

For tonight  am planning to make a cake with Michigan star thistle honey and Michigan sour cherries, and maybe even a sour cherry tsimes.  We are very proud of our cherries here in Michigan, but not proud enough to call them sour cherries.  Locals insist on calling them "tart cherries."  That makes me sad.  Sour cherries and not lesser cherries. Own your cherries, Michigan!

Other honey cakes:

Date Honey Cake
Pomegranate Honey Cake
Chocolate Honey Cake
Classic Honey Cake

דער פּאָפּאָבוים

Der popoboym, the paw paw tree

דער פּאָפּאָ

der popo, the paw paw

דאָס כינעזישע לאַמטערל

Dos Khinezishe lamterl, the ground cherry

Here are the Seegers singing Paw Paw Patch:

And one more film from Nature Boy Crabmeat 

Make pudding.

And of course, Honey Pie!

Have a sweet and beautiful year.