Carica Cundi Namarsesis from Dieng Plateau -Wonosobo

CARICA CUNDI NAMARSENSIS

Well, whats this?this is the latin name of small grows papaya species that only grows in Mexico and Dieng Plateau. I think Dutch brought it from there when they colonialized Indonesia.Its tree is just like papaya only the fruits are more plenty and smaller. And the smell is very nice. When it is in syrup it tastes just like jackfruit and mango.

Carica is now a very popular desert, domestic tourists visiting Wonosobo usually buy this carica in bottle to take it home. It is very healthy, and non additive ingredient. Only sugar. Just put ice cube in a bowl of carica then you can enjoy the marvelous desert.

Long time ago before people start to process carica to syrup, this fruit is used as toy for children because its taste is very sour. Boys kick it as ball, or girls chop it to vegetables to play with. Now as its economical use this fruits are rare to be found at market. I used to buy 1 or 2 kilos and cook it to syrup carica.

It is very easy to cook carica into syrup. First peel the fruit and take away the seed but do not throw the seed away. Cut the fruit to small pieces that we can eat them easily. Then the seeds which has a very good smell is squeezed to get the extract. Then boil water with extract with sugar. When we have guests come, me and my mother love to serve them with carica as dessert. They usually will love it. Carica is special and people can only find in Wonosobo and grows only in Dieng Plateau. It feels good to serve something that is so special to our guests.