🇵🇾 Paraguayan Cuisine

Dulce de Mamón

Candied Papaya in Syrup

Prep Time 20 min

Servings 8

Difficulty Medium

Calories 200 kcal

Wedges of green papaya slowly simmered in dark sugar syrup until translucent and impossibly tender, served chilled with a drizzle of the thick, amber syrup — Paraguay's signature dessert.

Ingredients

1 large green papaya (about 2kg)
500g sugar
4 cups water
1 cinnamon stick
Zest of 1 lemon
2 cloves

Instructions

1 Peel the green papaya, cut in half, remove seeds. Cut into thick wedges.
2 Score each wedge lightly with a knife to help syrup penetrate.
3 Make syrup: dissolve sugar in water with cinnamon, lemon zest, and cloves. Bring to a boil.
4 Add papaya wedges to the syrup. Reduce heat to low.
5 Simmer very gently for 2-3 hours until papaya is translucent and tender. The syrup will thicken.
6 Let cool in the syrup. Refrigerate overnight for best flavor. Serve cold with syrup.

Did You Know?

A well-made dulce de mamón is so translucent you can almost see through the papaya — this clarity is the mark of a skilled cook.