Chayote

Chayote
Chouchous on sale in Réunion Island
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Order:	Violales
Family:	Cucurbitaceae
Genus:	Sechium
Species:	S. edule
Binomial name
Sechium edule (Jacq.) Swartz, 1800

The chayote (Sechium edule), also known as choko, is an edible plant, which belongs to the gourd family Cucurbitaceae along with melons, cucumbers and squash.

The plant has large leaves that form a canopy over the fruit. The vine is grown on the ground or more commonly on trellises.

Taxonomy

The plant was discovered as new species by Patrick Browne in Jamaica and was described by him in 1756. In 1763 it was classified by Jacquin as Sicyos edulus and by Adanson as Chocho edulus. Swartz included it in 1800 in its current genus Sechium.

Description

In the most common variety, the fruit is roughly pear shaped, somewhat flattened and with coarse wrinkles, ranging from 10 to 20 cm in length. It has a thin green skin fused with the white flesh, and a single large flattened pip. The flesh has a fairly bland taste, and a texture described as a cross between a potato and a cucumber. Although generally discarded, the seed has a nutty flavour.

Chayote inside

Culinary and medicinal uses

Although most people are familiar only with the fruit, which in culinary terms is a vegetable, the root, stem, seeds, and leaves are all edible.

The fruit does not need to be peeled and can be eaten raw in salads. It can also be boiled, stuffed, mashed, baked, fried, or pickled. Both the fruit and the seed are rich in amino acids and vitamin C.

The tuberous part of the root is starchy and is both eaten by humans and used as cattle fodder.

The leaves and fruit have diuretic, cardiovascular and anti-inflammatory properties, and a tea made from the leaves has been used in the treatment of arteriosclerosis and hypertension, and to dissolve kidney stones.

Alternate names

Chayote (pronounced [tʃa'jɔte], roughly "chy-O-tay"), is the Spanish name of the plant, from Nahuatl hitzayotli. It is used in many parts of Spanish-speaking Latin America and in the US. It is known all over the world by many other names:

• Luana: xuxu
• Australia: choko
• Brazil: chuchu
• Caribbean: christoferine, christophene, cho-cho
• China (Cantonese): fut sao gwa, 合掌瓜hup jeung gwa (lit. "closed palms squash")
• China (Mandarin): 佛手瓜 (lit. "Buddha hand squash")
• English-speaking countries: chouchou
• English-speaking countries: chocho, cho-cho
• English-speaking countries: mango squash
• English-speaking countries: vegetable pear
• French Antilles: christophene, christophine
• Guatemala-El Salvador: guiscil, güisquil, guiskil
• Honduras: pataste
• India (Kannada): Seemae BaDhneKayi
• India (Tamil): vilati vanga
• Indonesia: labu siam (lit. Siamese pumpkin), jipang (Djogja and Center Java) or waluh
• Italy: zucca centenaria
• Japan: hayatouri (ハヤトウリ)
• Latin America: tayote or tayota [ta'jɔta]
• Latin America: chocho
• Latin America: gayota
• Louisiana (Cajun, Creole, English): mirliton
• Mauritius: chouchou
• Norway: chavote
• Philippines: sayote
• Portugal: pipinella
• Réunion Island: chouchou
• Russian: cajot
• Thailand: fuk maew ฟักแม้ว
• Vietnamese: su-su, trai su

See also

• List of vegetables

External links

• Gourmet Sleuth
• neglected crops - Chayote
• [1] Plant of the Week Gallery Killerplants.com

References

• Rafael Lira Saade. 1996. Chayote Sechium edule (Jacq.) Sw. Promoting the conservation and use of underutilized and neglected crops. 8. Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research, Gatersleben/International Plant Genetic Resources Institute, Rome, Italy. ISBN 92-9043-298-5 available in pdf format