The Jungle Book: 17 Easter Eggs & References You Need To See

7. The Pawpaw

During the temple sequence, King Louie offers Mowgli some pawpaw fruit from his personal stash, offering a brief potted history on the fruit (and finally explaining to generations of confused children what one is after the 1967 classic left it unclear to most audiences). This is undoubtedly a reference to the lyrics in the original version of The Bare Necessities when Baloo sings about picking "a pawpaw or a prickly pear".

If it weren't a nod back to the '67 film, the pawpaw wouldn't be an authentic element in the film. The fruit might be cultivated in India now, but it's only just been introduced relatively recently from Central America and it wouldn't have been around for King Louie to share at the time the Jungle Book is set.