The flexible vines of the Chayote plant are also used to weave baskets. It has a texture somewhere in between a potato and cucumber. I avoid that kind because it clearly does not want me to eat it. Don’t peel the chayote; the skin may look tough, but it’s very thin and tender. It is versatile, used in cuisines from Mexican to Indonesian to south Indian to Australian to Louisiana. Chayote (pronounced chahy-oh-tee) scientifically known as Sechium edule, is the edible fruit of a tropical perennial vine plant which is a member of the Cucurbitaceae family, along with other squashes, gourds, cucumbers and melons. It took to the soil in Australia as if it belonged there all along; it is common in Australia to grow chayote (it’s called “choko” there) right in the yard, against chain-link fences, which the chayote will climb. It’s hard to come up with just a few recipes for the chayote, because it is so versatile. I can’t remember the last time I saw it on a menu in New York, even though it’s in season basically year-round and goes with any flavor you can throw at it. Squeeze in about half a lemon’s worth of lemon juice, plus salt and pepper to taste. But that’s almost more of a reason to try the thing. They are commonly added to salads, soups, and chop suey. (McDonald’s denies the rumor.). Cover with red wine vinegar and let sit as you do the rest of this. But the tuber, seeds, and young stem and leaves are all edible too! Chayote’s Trek Across the Globe. It should almost look like a chunky herb oil. More specifically, it is native to central Mexico, where it can be thought of as the Mexican version of zucchini: given the right circumstances, it grows like a crazy weed and produces a huge amount of edible fruit (the squash/melon/gourd family members are all botanically fruits, not vegetables). Planting Chayote… Pour this all onto a baking sheet and roast for about half an hour until the chayote is browned and tender (it’ll never get soft). Make your dressing: sugar, lime juice, fish sauce. - Raw pulp of the fruit is soothing for skin rashes. This fruit is rich in vitamin c. The roots, stem, seeds and leave are also edible. Roasted Chayote With ChimichurriShopping list: Chayote, olive oil, garlic, red onion, red wine vinegar, serrano chile, cilantro, parsley, oregano, goat cheese. (The sound a Thai pestle makes is typically written as “pok pok,” which is where the name of an excruciatingly cool restaurant in Portland and Brooklyn comes from.) How to grow: How to Grow Chayote (Youtube video) Pest management: Chayote has similar pests and diseases to those affecting squash and pumpkin The Basics. In France the chayote is called a christophene. How to Germinate Chayote Squash. The entire Chayote plant is edible including the roots, shoots, fruits, seeds, leaves, and flowers, and the leaves are used for culinary purposes and medicinally in Asia and Central and South America. Utilize the plant to its full potential and remember to keep a … It can be eaten raw or steamed, boiled, baked, stuffed, fried, and marinated. The plant has large leaves that form a canopy over the fruit. Mole is often served with, like, boiled chicken. Just add and taste: it shouldn’t be too sweet, too sour, or too fishy. Although the fruit is the most common plant part sold and eaten in the US, the root, stem, seeds and leaves are all edible. Toss the chayote matchsticks into the mortar and lightly bruise it with the pestle, kind of tossing it around (a spoon in one hand and pestle in the other will help) to mix everything together. 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