atchara (Photo credit: gtrwndr87)

By Juvy S. Iliwiliw


Back to the days of my childhood, papaya was not really my type of fruit to be eaten. Even if my mother would insist, I would never pick even a slice during a fruitful meal, no wonder I still dislike it as I aged. I suppose that my disagreement with this papaya will never end until a colleague treated me on her birthday a dinner at an all-chicken restaurant. I couldn’t believe that atchara on my plate would make a big difference with my chicken barbecue. The soothing taste of this pickled unripe papaya never left my tongue since then. I was completely charmed by its taste that I always fill my shelves with this pickled papaya. I will now impart to you this very simple atchara recipe so that you too can learn to appreciate its appetite-boasting taste.

You will need:


1/2 tablespoon salt

2 cups papaya, peeled and grated

2 cups cane vinegar

2 cups water

1 cup sugar

3 tablespoons garlic cloves

1/2 cups shallots, sliced thinly

3 tablespoons grams ginger, peeled and sliced into strips

3 tablespoons red bell pepper, sliced into strips

3 tablespoons carrots, julienned

Here’s how:


1) Mix salt with papaya. Squeeze out all liquid from the fruit. Set aside.

2) Combine vinegar, water, sugar, garlic, shallots and ginger in a pot. Simmer for a few minutes.

3) Cool pickling solution before adding the papaya, bell pepper and carrots.

4) Place in bottles and refrigerate.