KY Is Home to the Largest Fruit Native to North America and There’s a Festival For It

Let's say it's Final Jeopardy! and "Fruit" is the category. And your task is to correctly identify the largest fruit native to North America. Then you write, "What is a watermelon?"

And just like that, you've come in second or third. That's an easy and expected guess, not to mention understandable. Watermelons can grow to two feet in diameter. But, as hard as this might be to believe, they are NOT native to North America, despite the fact that they seem to be an integral part of Americana in the summertime. In fact, the consumption of watermelons dates back thousands of years before we even became a country.

Interestingly, the largest fruit native to North America isn't really THAT big. It's the pawpaw, and, at its largest, it can grow up to six inches long. As for the next question...have YOU ever heard of a pawpaw? If not, there are ENTHUSIASTS of this unusual fruit, and I'm sure they'd be happy to answer any questions you have.

Next question...how do they taste? Let's ask this guy:

That sounds really good; yes, I'll have what he's having. And so will a great many people who attend the Kentucky festival that celebrates the pawpaw. They can be found in several states, many of which make them festival centerpieces just like in the Commonwealth. Last year's was a huge success.

You can even use them to make cheesecake. Considering the pawpaw's texture, that makes perfect sense.

The Louisville Pawpaw Festival is Saturday, September 7th. And if you bring one of those cheesecakes, please do me a favor. Don't call it a cheesecake. Call it pawpaw pie.

Say it out loud; you'll see.