ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Ever wondered what Baloo the bear from the Jungle Book was singing about when he sang, “When you pick a pawpaw or a prickly pear, and you prick a raw paw, well, next time beware?”

This bare necessity of life will return to The Hop’s four locations in Asheville soon.

On Oct. 11, pawpaw ice cream will return to the display case in dairy and vegan varieties.

Pawpaws, a fruit native to the deciduous forest region of the United States and Canada, have a yellow, custard-textured interior with large brown seeds. The flavor is said to be tropical, similar to a banana or mango. (Photo credit: Milkweed Meadows Farm)

Supplied by Milkweed Meadows Farm, fresh pawpaws will be added to each batch. The farm cultivates more than 100 pawpaw trees, along with passionfruit vines and milkweeds to support monarch butterflies.

A pawpaw is a fruit native to the deciduous forest region of the United States and Canada. Surprisingly, the pawpaw has no connection to the Indian jungles Baloo inhabited.

Once the green skin of the pawpaw is peeled, it reveals a yellow, custard-textured interior with large brown seeds. Its flavor is said to be tropical, similar to a banana or mango.

The pawpaw tree is an important fixture of the deciduous forest ecosystem, being the sole food source for the zebra swallowtail butterfly.

GreenWorks, a local climate change advocacy group, will sell pawpaw seedlings from 3-6 p.m. on Oct. 11 at 640 Merrimon Ave. Seedlings can be pre-ordered on the GreenWorks website.

“We’re so fortunate to collaborate with local growers to bring this extraordinary ice cream to more people,” The Hop co-owner Ashley Garrison said.

On Oct. 11, dairy and vegan varieties of pawpaw ice cream will return to The Hop. (Photo credit: The Hop)

Pawpaw ice cream is just one of The Hop’s collaborations with other Asheville businesses. Established in 1978, the ice cream parlor has focused on serving locally-made ice cream with locally sourced ingredients.