|
|||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Christophene |
| Chayote | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Chouchous on sale in Réunion Island
|
||||||||||||||
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
| Binomial name | ||||||||||||||
| Sechium edule (Jacq.) Swartz, 1800 |
The chayote (Sechium edule), also known as sayote, tayota, choko, chocho, chow-chow, christophine or merliton, is an edible plant that 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.
Costa Rica is a major exporter of Chayotes world-wide. Costa Rican chayotes can be purchased in the European Union, the United States and other places in the world. Chayote is a very important ingredient in the Mexican diet. Veracruz state is the most important Chayote growing area of the whole country, and is also a major exporter of this product, mainly to the United States.
Contents |
The plant was first recorded by modern botantists in P.Browne's 1756 work.[1] 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.
In the most common variety, the fruit is roughly pear or apple 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 and may be eaten as part of the fruit.
Although most people are familiar only with the fruit, 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.
In Taiwan, chayotes are widely planted for their shoots, known as lóng xü cài (龍鬚菜, literally "dragon-whisker vegetable"). Along with the young leaves, the shoot is a commonly consumed vegetable in the region.
 |
This article or section contains only non-IPA pronunciation information which should be expanded with the International Phonetic Alphabet. For assistance, see Wikipedia:Manual of Style (pronunciation). |
Chayote (pronounced [tʃa'jɔte], roughly "cha-YO-teh"), is the Spanish name of the plant, from Nahuatl hitzayotli (pronounced [itsajotli] "eetsa-yo-tlee"). It is used in many parts of Spanish-speaking Latin America and in the US. World-wide, it is known by many other names:
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |