Mountain papaya

What it is

Mountain papaya is Vasconcellea pubescens, a relative of the ordinary papaya. The oblong fruit has five ridges and turns from green to bright yellow as it ripens. It measures about 8–15 cm long (3–6 in) and 5–6 cm across (2–2½ in).

A thin layer of flesh surrounds a seed-filled centre. It is smaller and less succulent than ordinary papaya, but its aroma is stronger.

Where it comes from

Its home is the South American Andes, including Colombia and Ecuador. It reached central Chile before Spanish colonization, and Chile grows it commercially for processed fruit.

The Dutch colonial government brought mountain papaya to Indonesia. It grows only in cool places there, in highlands such as Dieng in Central Java, and Cangar and Bromo Tengger in East Java. In Dieng, the fruit now belongs to the local food culture.

How it's eaten where it grows

Dieng’s manisan carica is fruit in sweet syrup. The peeled fruit is washed, halved and separated from its seeds. The seeds are boiled in water and strained out; the sliced flesh then cooks in that liquid with sugar and a little salt. The seeds help make the syrup, but do not stay in the finished dessert.

In Chile the fruit goes into processed products. Mountain papaya is commonly made into preserves, jam, sweets and nectar.

How it's grown

The plant has a central trunk topped with hand-shaped leaves on long stalks. In Dieng, farmers plant it along field boundaries beside crops such as potatoes and cabbage. They raise new plants from seed or cuttings taken from branches. Plants grown from seed reach fruiting age in 10 to 12 months.

When and where you'll find it

On the Dieng Plateau, carica usually fruits all year, with its greatest abundance in March and April. The prepared fruit is part of the region’s souvenir-shop trade. Wonosobo is home to processors such as Sumbing Segar, which makes carica in syrup in Reco, Kertek. Labels usually call it carica in syrup.