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Dulce de papayuela
Mountain papaya in spiced syrup
Dulce de papayuela: Boyacá's mountain papaya in spiced panela syrup
Papayuela is the small, fragrant mountain papaya that grows in the cool highlands of Boyacá in Colombia. Cooked slowly in panela syrup with cloves and cinnamon, it becomes a glossy, amber dulce that Boyacá families set out during Holy Week and again at Christmas, often with a slice of fresh white cheese or cuajada. It is vegan and gluten free. Firm, slightly underripe ordinary papaya, or babaco, makes a good stand-in. Chef's tip: blanch the fruit briefly first, then drain it; this removes the bitter latex and lets it soak up the syrup.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ lb mountain papayas or 1 firm papayapeeled, seeded and cut in strips
- 10 ½ oz panela or dark brown sugargrated
- 2 ½ cups water
- 5 cloves
- 1 tbsp lime juice
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Drop 2 ¼ lb mountain papayas or 1 firm papaya into boiling water for 3 minutes, then drain and rinse.
5 minStep 2: Dissolve 10 ½ oz panela or dark brown sugar in 2 ½ cups water with 5 cloves and 1 cinnamon stick over a medium heat, then simmer for 10 minutes.
10 minStep 3: Add the fruit and 1 tbsp lime juice and cook at a gentle simmer, uncovered, for 50–60 minutes, until the strips look translucent and the syrup is thick and coats a spoon.
55 minStep 4: A common mistake is stirring hard, which breaks up the fruit: shake the pan instead.
Step 5: Cool in the syrup and keep in a jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Serve with fresh cheese.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 160 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 40 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does dulce de papayuela take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 70 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of panela or dark brown sugar?
- White sugar + 1 tbsp molasses or treacle per 200g.
- What can I use instead of cloves?
- Ground cloves, ¼ tsp for every 3 whole cloves.
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