(Sechium edule— Family Cucurbitaceae)
Chayote, mirliton, christophene, choloes, chu-chu, cho-cho, vegetable pear, custard marrow, choko, chow chow, pepinella, sou-sou
Chayote (pronounced: chy-O-tay) is a vigorous, scrambling, tuberous-rooted perennial, a member of the gourd family, and grown for its starchy, edible fruit and seeds.
Native to Central America, this climber can spread to fifty feet, producing huge tubers. Chayote comes from the Aztec ‘chayotl’, and was once a staple food of both the Aztecs and Maya.
In the West Indies, it is called ‘christophine’ after Columbus, who reputedly introduced it to the islands. Chayote contains a large, nutty-flavoured seed much prized by cooks. In the Caribbean, chayote is used to tenderize meats.
Today, chayote is grown commercially in the US, Central America, South America, the Caribbean, India, North Africa, New Zealand, Australia, and China.
Technically, chayote is a fruit; but most often used as a vegetable. It looks like a large, green pear, but having a number of deep folds in the skin.
Some varieties have smooth skins, while others have dots of prickly spines
on the surface.
The flesh is crisp and white, with a large white oval seed in the center (see above).
Its flavour is a bland mix of zucchini, green beans, and cucumber.
The skin is also edible, but many prefer to peel it. When it is peeled, it will leave a slimy residue on the hands that is difficult to wash off.
It is often used in place of potatoes at a meal, and cooked similarily.
The seed is edible
and, when cooked, tastes like a cross between a lima bean and an almond. It is soft enough to be chopped up with the flesh and used along with it giving the entire dish a pleasant flavour. It can also be eaten raw in salads, and is an excellent addition to soups.
Chayotes keep well in a cool, but humid, place and can be frozen like a summer squash.
It is a good source of fiber, vitamins C and B6, folate, potassium, and magnesium.
