Atchara; A Taste of The Philippines

I enjoy watching the food programs on the travel channel, such as Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations and Bizarre foods with Andrew Zimmerman. These programs showcase foods from around the world.

As a vegan I find quite a few dishes repulsive, however, there are quite a few dishes I find to be quite fascinating.  As a result from watching these programs I have become rather intrigued with fermented foods.

Fermented foods have amazing health benefits such as aiding in digestion and enabling your body to better absorb nutrients.


I don't consume yogurt or cheese, but I am a huge fan of Kimchi. I just recently discovered another fermented dish I saw featured on the travel channel  that I have been dying to try called Atchara pronounced ot chá ra.

Atchara is a traditional Philippine dish made with unripe raw green papaya. It is usually served with heavy foods such as fried foods and meats, most likely as a digestive aide.

I finally had the opportunity to try Atchara produced by Tropical Traditions; based in the Philippines.  Like all of Tropical Traditions products their Atchara is made with 100% organic ingredients obtained from small family run farms throughout the Philippines.



Tropical Traditions Atchara ingredient list:

Raw Green Papaya- Native to the Philippines and containing 4 times as much papain.
Organic Raw Coconut Water Vinegar
Organic Whole Muscabado Sugar-Fair Trade certified and extracted from the sugar cane using traditional methods. This is a big plus since most Atchara is made using refined sugar.
Organic Raw Ginger Root
Sea Salt

I certainly wasn't disappointed with the taste of Atchara, it's very strong and sour which I like.  You can add purified water to lower the acidity.  It is normally used as a condiment or eaten in small portions. It's truly an experience that you need to try for yourself to appreciate.

 Regardless of how you choose to use Atchara you will find this native Philippine dish to be an appealing compliment to many dishes as well as being quite addictive. Pin It Now!
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