Lapsi achar: the sweet-sour hog plum pickle

Lapsi is the fruit that makes Nepali achar taste like nothing else. A small, green-to-yellow fruit with a hard stone, lapsi is too sour to eat raw, but it is perfect for pickling.

What is lapsi

Lapsi is the Nepali name for hog plum, a fruit that grows across the hills and is harvested in the cooler months. It has thin skin, firm flesh, and a large pit. Its flavour is sharply sour with a faint sweetness, and it softens beautifully once cured.

Why it makes a great pickle

Unlike mango, which stays firm, lapsi breaks down as it cures. The flesh turns tender and the sourness mellows into something rounder and almost fruity. The result is sweet and sour at once, softer than mango achar and less punishing on the heat.

Because the fruit is naturally so sour, lapsi achar needs less acid from lemon or lime, and the salt and spice do the rest.

How it is made

Lapsi is washed, cut, and salted, then mixed with turmeric, chili, and mustard oil. Some kitchens add a little sugar or jaggery to balance the sourness. As with all achar, the jar then rests in the sun so the flavours settle.

How to eat it

• A spoonful beside dal bhat, where the sweetness plays off the lentils.
• With roti, especially with a dry vegetable dish.
• Alongside grilled meat or fish, where the tang cuts the richness.
• A little mixed into plain rice with a drop of ghee.

Lapsi is usually medium-hot, so it is a good first achar for people who find mango or akabare too strong.

Storing it

Keep it cool and dark, use a dry spoon, and keep the achar under its oil. Lapsi keeps well and deepens in flavour over the first few weeks. If you have never tried it, it is one of the most rewarding jars in the collection.

Lapsi is not always in stock, because the fruit is seasonal. Ask us what is available, or browse the full collection.