Real Food Encyclopedia | Chayote
Though the shape of a chayote (Sechium edule) has been likened to a fist, its flavor doesn’t exactly pack a punch. Rather, it has a mild taste that balances between apple and cucumber with a jicama-like fresh crispiness, making it a versatile addition to the dinner plate.
While vegetable-like in practice and in flavor, the chayote is actually a fruit. All parts of the plant are edible, from the root to its leaves to its one seed. The fruit is quite adaptable: easily juiced or made into baby food; delightful in salads and salsas; happily sautéed, grilled or fried; and a welcome component to baked goods and desserts
Fun facts about chayote:
- The chayote goes by many names: “custard marrow,” “vegetable pear” and “mirliton” — the latter used extensively in Louisiana. Others call it “christophine,” “choko,” “iskut,” “mango squash,” “xuxu” and “machuchu.”
- The vines of the chayote plant are durable but flexible, and are used in the making of hats and baskets.
- The word for chayote in Brazil is “chuchu” (or “xuxu”), which is also an affectionate name for someone such as “cutie” or “sweetie.”
What to look for when buying chayote
Chayote is available in different varietal shapes and sizes. The most common variety is pear-shaped. Chayote ranges from being cream-like in color to pale green, darker green and even brown. Most are smooth-skinned with ridges (or “knuckles”). And some varieties are spiky — think a melon with a mohawk. In all types, the skin is edible.
Look for light to dark green skin when purchasing chayote, though some varieties are available in cream and brown. Seek out a firm chayote, as, unlike melons, a little softness is not an indication of sweetness so much as the fruit has begun to turn.
Sustainability of chayote
As chayote is not commercially grown in the U.S. and is mostly cultivated small-scale (and often by home gardeners), it has limited environmental impact. However, much of the U.S. chayote crop is imported from Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico and the Dominican Republic. Many of these countries rely heavily on pesticide use for chayote production, which can degrade soil, water and nearby plant and animal life.
Seasonality
Chayote is ready for harvest generally between October and December.
Geography
Chayote thrives in areas which have warm to hot summer months, such as Florida, the Gulf Coast and California.
Chayote is native to Mesoamerica, likely originating in Mexico. It was cultivated by the Aztecs, but became popular across the globe after the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire in the 16th century. Since then, the gourd has been enjoyed in South American cuisines along with the cuisines of Southeast Asia, Australasia, Africa, North America and parts of Europe, particularly Spain.
In fact, Spanish influence is perhaps responsible for the chayote’s devoted following one state: Louisiana, where it has loomed large as a local specialty. Due to an influx of immigration from the Spanish-controlled Canary Islands in the 1700s, the chayote (later dubbed mirliton by the Haitian French-speakers who also immigrated there) made its way to the Southern Louisiana. Despite the fame of the mirliton in Louisiana, many of the varieties there were wiped out during Hurricane Katrina and have not yet recovered. However, current efforts to reinvigorate heirloom varietals by New Orleans residents could put chayote back on the menu.
Eating Chayote
Storing
Chayote has a tough skin and thus can last up to four weeks in the refrigerator, making it reliable post-harvest vegetables for the colder months.
Cooking
As a flexible food adaptable to many tastes and cuisines, chayote is used with vastly different flavor profiles across the globe.
In some Asian countries, chayote is often boiled and paired with meat in soup. In Mexico, chayote is sometimes served in a traditional mole sauce or are dried and made into jams and sweets. Parts of Latin America use chayote in sweeter dishes, where it’s stewed with sweetened syrup like a pumpkin. Chayote makes an interesting stand-in or addition to apples in an “apple” pie and can also be made into a bread, like zucchini. In Puerto Rico, chayote is scrambled into eggs with ham or made into omelets. In Louisiana, chayote is stuffed with shrimp or other seafood and served on the Thanksgiving table.
Preserving
Chayote can be pickled and preserved, like in this Chayote and Jicama Slaw, or made into a relish. Cut and then canned or frozen, the frozen chayote can last up to a year and can be thrown into stews or sautéed in butter or oil.
Nutrition
As a starchy relative of gourds and squash, Chayote is higher in carbohydrates and calories and lower in fiber and protein than many other fruits and vegetables. However, it is quite high in a range of amino acids, and sufficient in micro and macronutrients.
Top photo by sayhmog/Adobe Stock.