Achar

Achar (also known as Anchar) is a pickle made using fermented fruit or vegetables originating from India. It is made across the Caribbean and would have arrived with south Asian indentured labourers during the Transatlantic Slave Trade. There are many versions of achar across India, Malaysia and southern Africa, all made according to local recipes.

The sample we tried is from Umana Yana Guyanese restaurant made using owners Debbie and Junior Monfries’s secret recipe. This version is made with raw, grated, fermented, green mango. It has a fiery, smoky, salty flavour and often accompanies roti or rice dishes. Other versions may use riper mangos or be sweeter in flavour. The spices to make achar usually include mustard oil, fenugreek seed, coriander seed, cumin, fennel seed, black pepper, and turmeric.

Umana Yana, 294 Croxted Road, London SE24 9DA