Atcharang Papaya -- A Labor of Love

  

Hubby volunteered to do the cooking for the Christmas Potlock party in Paranaque, so for this year I'll have a break from my cooking chores.

However, cooking is really something that I love to do, so for this year I'll attempt to make Atcharang Papaya and a little bit of Atcharang Sili. This is an attempt to replicate the Atcharang Papaya of my sister-in-law Ate Vi. Atcharang Sili on the other hand is for us to store the chiles.

The Atcharang Papaya that Ate Vi gave us was so good, I ate 90% of it. :). The one that I cooked is not as perfect as Ate Vi's version, but I think it will be a good side dish for all the sinful and fatty foods for the holiday season.

Making Atcharang Papaya is very inexpensive. For 100 pesos you can already make 3 medium size bottles. I bought most of the vegetables in the local market so it is quite inexpensive in comparison to the prices at the grocery store.

The twist or the kick of the atchara would come from the quality of the vinegar that will be use. Since we have some sukang sasa from Bicol, which is sweeter compared to other vinegar, I have used it to reduce the amount of sugar for the dish.

This very inexpensive dish is labor intensive. Grating 3 papaya takes a lot of time, energy and patience. As I remember, this side dish is usually served in local barrio weddings. It is usually cooked and made by groups of women in the barrio. I remember watching them as they chat and grate the papaya to perfection. It is then stored for a day or two before it is served on the bride and groom's feast day.

Ingredients: grated papaya, grated carrots, diced bell pepper, red onion and garlic

with vinegar, salt, pepper and sugar

3 easy steps:

1. Grate and chop all ingredients. Squeeze the excess liquid from the grated papaya and carrots.

2. Cook the vinegar, sugar, with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil until the sugar dissolves, Do not stir.

3. Once the vinegar mixture is ready and slightly warm, mix all the ingredients. Store and enjoy.

*The process for atcharang sili is the same, just replace the papaya with chilies

I remember my Aunts with neighbors and friends as they make this dish during special occasions. There is like an assembly line of cooks with assigned tasks. There is someone who grates the papaya, another would chop the other ingredients and another would do the cooking of the vinegar and the mixing of the ingredients -- and before the dish is stored, the designated "specialist" would taste the dish to ensure the right blend of spices. 

This is how I inherited my love for the kitchen, spending my childhood with my Aunt's who spends most of their time cooking and preparing food for everyday meal and special occasions.

And so, after recalling all the good memories to enhance my energy to finish the dish, I finally made it. After the labor intensive grating and chopping process, I think I won't be doing it again. It is a dish that needs to be cooked with some companions. :)