How to Eat Achacha

 (Léase en español / Read in Spanish)

Acha-what? Achacha! What’s an achacha? It is the answer to the monthly mystery macro from March. There were two guesses about this mysterious photo, and they were both very close. Here is the full view from which the mystery macro was taken:

One guess is that it was the blossom end of a delicious piece of fruit. Correct. The additional thought that it was not a volcano is also correct! The second guess was
that it was a variety of mango. Awwww… So close! Take another look:

Have you been patiently waiting for a blog post about something that is uniquely Bolivian? Here it is! This is the fruit of the Achacha (Garcinia humilis), also known in Spanish as the achachairú. The achacha is a small but very fruitful tree. It has been growing in the wild in Bolivia for generations, but it is not cultivated commercially on a large scale here.

Where did we find this delightful fruit? While recently staying in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, for a few days we stopped at one of the many neighborhood fruit stands. When we saw an unidentified fruit in a basket we asked the owner what it was. “Achacha”, he told us. “Acha-What?” He went on to tell us what it was and how to eat it. He even let us sample one. Even more importantly he told us that it would be fine in our luggage on the way home. So we bought a bag of them.

Just how do you eat the achacha? Easy!

Step 1: Break the skin.

You can do so with your fingernail or the edge of a spoon. The achacha is egg shaped and about 6cm long (2.3 inches). And when it matures the skin is reddish-orange. They can last for several weeks kept at room temperature. Don’t refrigerate them though, except for a couple of hours if you want to eat them chilled. Cold temperatures will make the skin turn a dark color and they will shrivel.

Step 2: Peel away a section of skin.

This will reveal the white pulp inside. As you can see, the skin is fairly thick and tough. This makes the achacha durable during transport. We had a bag of about two dozen in a backpack filled with other things on our trip home and they came through unscathed.

Step 3: Scoop out the pulp.

The pulp pulls away easily from the skin. The spoon is not necessary, but it helps a little. The achacha is a non-climacteric fruit, which means it does not continue to ripen after it is harvested. This is the same as the orange and pineapple, whereas the banana and mango are climacteric.

Step 4: Take a bite of the white pulp.

CAREFUL! There are seeds inside. There is always one large seed inside and there may also be two or three smaller ones. They are a dark-brown color.

Step 5: Pop the rest in your mouth.

Then spit out the seed. The pulp is strongly attached to the seed so you’ll have to suck it all off to get the most fruit possible.

What does it taste like? Hmmm, I guess the best way to describe it is “It tastes like Achacha!” Tastes are so objective that you know you can’t really describe it well enough. You just have to taste it. I will say, however, that it makes me think a little of honeydew melon and a little of lychee. It is sweet but tangy, which gives it a refreshing feel in the mouth.

In the last few years the achacha has been cultivated for large-scale commercial production in Australia. Perhaps other growers around the world will take up the challenge of cultivating this unique fruit.

So if you ever get the chance to taste an achacha, don’t pass it up. As you can see, anyone can do it! And your taste buds will thank you for the treat!

What about you? Are there achacha’s where you are, either in stores or in the wild? Have you ever tried one? What did you think?

 (Léase en español / Read in Spanish)