Are we going to get along? I don’t know but I bet it all depends on how you feel about Atchar. Me? I have strong feelings, the intensity of which is fuelled by nothing more scientific than the purest love. If it was up to me this beloved national condiment would be allowed to claim its rightful place up the national food totem. Declaring atchar an essential food group would be a good start. And I’d regret nothing.
Atchar, a pickle of vegetables and fruits such as mango, vegetables, chillies and lemon, is a uniquely South African condiment of Indian origin. According to modern history, the name comes from the Indian name “achaar/āchār”, which literally translates to pickle. Indians have been making pickles for thousands of years, maybe as far back as BCE 2030 when cucumbers were first pickled. The Persian version of Āchār is ‘powdered or salted meats, pickles, or fruits, preserved in salt, vinegar, honey, or syrup.’ But let’s be honest, the oil based South African favourite outshines its watery cousins. Bold, flavourful and versatile, I haven’t met a dish that the condiment has failed to uplift as yet.
Irvin Mashele, a street vendor whose love for atchaar seems to be a matter of national pride and personal faith says “Atchar is a South African product just like the vuvuzela, but the problem is we just don’t like uplifting our products. So God chose me to be the one who would represent atchar.” He is not the only fan.
We eat a lot of atchar. When we are not eating it, we talk about how to make it. It trends on Twitter. Our rappers make songs about it. Atchar is such a big part of our shared national identity that it is a safe subject in small talk between strangers. We might be the only country that writes to agony aunts about the tyranny of the infamous post-atchar armpit odour? If you have ever wondered, it turns out that the odour is from excreting some of atchar’s spiced oil through our sweat glands.
But what makes it perfect? The lazy answer would be because it’s nice. Not a wrong answer. It’s just that atchar’s rich and complex flavour notes, a combination of the brief fermentation period and spicy oil marinade, deserve better than nice. What makes it perfect, whether it’s on eggs, a stew, Kota , chalakalaka or even just ot its own, is that it’s perfectly ours.
Recipe
Ingredients: green mangoes, washed| vegetable oil|sugar | masala spice| chillies, chopped | garlic, chopped| pinch of salt| whole mustard seeds.
Method: Cut the mango into chunks and mix with the rest of the ingredients in a bowl. Leave to stand in a cool place for 3 days. Serve.
