Development of Flavor Descriptors for Pawpaw Fruit Puree: A Step Toward the Establishment of a Native Tree Fruit Industry

Abstract

The pawpaw (Asimina triloba) is a native tree fruit with potential as a high-value niche crop for farmers in fresh-market and processing ventures. With a flavor resembling a combination of banana, mango, and pineapple, this fruit could compete with exported specialty fruits in the United States such as mango and papaya. The study objective was to develop a descriptive language for frozen pawpaw fruit puree, thereby assisting growers in the selection of superior varieties for fresh-market and processing ventures. Panelists generated 13 visual, 17 flavor, and 12 texture puree descriptors. Using these descriptors with fruit collected from Southeast Ohio (SEO) wild patches and two varieties (1–23 and 10–35), panelists identified both sour and bitter tastes in SEO puree compared to puree from either variety. The varieties also displayed positive characteristics of stronger melon and fresh flavors compared to SEO puree. Additional language descriptors for pawpaw puree may be needed.