Chayote

Chayote
Chayote fruit
Chayote fruit cut lengthwise
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Cucurbitales
Family:	Cucurbitaceae
Genus:	Sicyos
Species:	S. edule
Binomial name
Sicyos edule Jacq.
Synonyms[1]
Chayota edulis Jacq. Sechium edulis (Jacq.)

Chayote or Sicyos edule (previously placed in the obsolete genus Sechium), also known as christophine, mirliton and choko, is an edible

The chayote fruit is mostly used cooked. When cooked, chayote is usually handled like summer squash; it is generally lightly cooked to retain the crispy consistency. Raw chayote may be added to

The fruit goes by many English-language names around the world. "Chayote", the common American English name of the fruit (outside of Louisiana) is from the Spanish word chayote, a derivative of the Nahuatl word chayohtli (pronounced [t͡ʃaˈjoʔt͡ɬi]).^[5]

In Louisiana^[5] and Haiti it is known as "mirliton" (pronounced IPA: [ˈmɪrlɪˌtɑn])^[6] also spelled "mirleton" or "merleton" in the United Kingdom (the r is often silent, e.g. Cajun me-lay-taw or urban Creole miʁl-uh-tɔ̃ns)^[7]

In the

Chayote is also sometimes referred to as "vegetable pear."[8]^{[verification needed]}

Cultivation

Like other members of the gourd family, chayote has a sprawling habit, and requires sufficient room. The roots are also highly susceptible to rot, especially in containers, and the plant in general is finicky to grow. However, in Australia and New Zealand it is an easily grown yard or garden plant, set on a chicken wire support or strung against a fence. In Trinidad and Tobago, it is grown in the mountainous areas strung from wire lines. In Latin America, chayote is widely cultivated. Depending on variety and region, yield reaches from 10 to 115 t/ha.^[12]

Soil and climate requirements

Chayote requires humus-rich, well drained soils, which are slightly acid to acid (pH 4.5 to 6.5). Clay soils reduce crop productivity because they retain water and therefore promote growth of fungal pests.^[13] Chayote adapts to a wide range of climatic conditions but grows best in regions with average temperatures of 13°-21 °C with at least 1500–2000 mm of annual precipitation.^[12] The crop is not frost-tolerant, however it can be grown as an annual in temperate regions.

Taxonomy

The plant was first recorded by modern botanists in P. Browne's 1756 work, the Civil and Natural History of Jamaica.^[14] Swartz included it in 1800 in its current genus Sechium.

The genus name Sechium is probably an alteration of the Ancient Greek σίκυος : síkyos "cucumber". The species name edule means "edible".

Description

In the most common variety, the fruit is roughly

The chayote vine can be grown on the ground, but as a climbing plant, it will grow onto anything, and can easily rise as high as 12 meters when support is provided. It has heart-shaped leaves, 10–25 cm wide and tendrils on the stem. The plant bears male flowers in clusters and solitary female flowers.^[16]

Culinary uses

Although many people are familiar only with the fruit as being edible, the root, stem, seeds and leaves are edible as well. The tubers of the plant are eaten like potatoes and other root vegetables, while the shoots and leaves are often consumed in salads and stir-fries.

The fruit does not need to be peeled to be cooked or fried in slices. It has a very mild flavor. It is commonly served with seasonings (e.g., salt, butter and pepper in Australia) or in a dish with other vegetables and flavorings. It can also be boiled, stuffed, mashed, baked, fried, or pickled in escabeche sauce. Both fruit and seed are rich in amino acids and vitamin C.^[17] Fresh green fruit are firm and without brown spots or signs of sprouting; smaller fruit are usually more tender. Chayote can be sliced lengthwise and eaten using salad dressing dip. The seed is edible and tasty to some when served cold, dipped in dressing.^{[citation needed]}

The

David Fairchild was a botanist who tried to introduce it to wider use in the southern United States, and describes the plant and early experiences with it in a journal article in 1947. ^[18]

Chayote is an important part of traditional diets across Mesoamerica, and can be found in a variety of dishes. In this region, it is often known as güisquil, or huisquil, derived from the Nahuatl term huitzli.^[19] In Guatemala, güisquil specifically refers to the darker variety of the fruit, while the lighter, yellower variety is called perulero.^[20] The root, known as ichintal, is also a seasonal delicacy there.^[20] The fruit of the chayote is used in a type of Guatemalan chilaquiles called caldos, where a piece of cheese is placed between two slices of chayote and then dipped in egg batter and fried.^[20]

In Eastern Caribbean English the fruit, used as a vegetable, is known as christophene. In Jamaica and other places in the western Caribbean it is known as chocho.^[21] The fruit is called tayota in the Dominican Republic.

South America

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In Brazil (locally called chuchu) and other Latin American countries, it is breaded and fried, or used cooked in salads, soups, stews and soufflés. 'Chuchu' (or 'Xuxú') is also a term of endearment in Brazil, like 'Honey' in English.

Asia

Chayote is widely used in Southeast Asia. In the

Chayote is also frequently eaten in South Asia. In eastern and north eastern India and Nepal, the plant and fruit is called squash or ishkus (इस्कुस in Nepali), probably derived from the English word squash. Its shoots, fruit and roots are widely used for different varieties of curries. In the Indian state of West Bengal, it is generally known as squash (স্কোয়াশ). The whole vegetable is used to make curries, or it is sauteed. It is also cooked with fish, eggs or mutton. It is largely eaten during the summer and rainy season as it contains much water and is a good source of vitamin C. The young branches are also considered for making items as saag or can be added into preparing shukto. There are two varieties available; dark green and light green. The dark green variety is much more tender than the lighter one, which develops a fibrous texture around its seed if harvesting or consumption is delayed. In Tamil Nadu, South India, chayote is known as maerakkai (மேரக்காய்) or chow-chow (சௌ சௌ) in Tamil and widely used in everyday cooking for recipes like sambar, kootu, poriyal, thuvayal, chutney and mor-kulambu. Chow-Chow is the common name used in the markets. In Karnataka, South India, chayote is popularly referred to as seeme badanekaayi (ಸೀಮೆ ಬದನೇಕಾಯಿ) in Kannada or "Bangalore brinjal"; "brinjal/eggplant/aubergine of the plateau".^[24] It is used in vegetable stews like sambar and palya.

In temperate Northeast Asia, chayote is less common. In

: 龍鬚菜; lit. 'dragon-whisker vegetable'). Along with the young leaves, the shoots are a commonly consumed vegetable in the region.

Africa

This section needs expansion with: more details about mainland Africa. You can help by adding to it. (December 2021)

Chayote is commonly eaten in the islands of the Indian Ocean. In Réunion, the French overseas territory near Mauritius, chou chou, as it is known, is served in many dishes especially in the highlands. A popular starter of chou chou au gratin (baked with a cheese sauce), as a side with a meal and even as a dessert. In Mauritius, it is called sousou and is cultivated in the high plateau of the island. Mixed with beef, pork or chicken, chou chou is widely used to make delicious steamed Chinese dumplings called niouk yen (boulette chou chou) or chow mai. Stems and leaves are consumed in bouillon to accompany rice and other dishes. The chou chou is also consumed as pickle, salad, gratin, curry and sauté with beef, egg or chicken. In Madagascar, chayote (known in Malagasy as sôsety) is eaten in dishes such as saosisy sy sôsety (sausage and chayote) and tilapia sy sôsety (tilapia and chayote).

Europe

This section needs expansion with: more details about mainland Europe. You can help by adding to it. (December 2021)

In the Portuguese Autonomous Regions of Madeira and Azores, where the vegetable is popular, chayote is called pimpinela (or pepinela) and caiota, respectively. In both regions, chayote is part of the local gastronomy,^[26] usually cooked with beans in the shell, potatoes, and corn cobs to accompany fish dishes, usually caldeiradas. In the Azores, chayote is also used in puddings^[27] and jams.^[28]

Folklore

Chayote as mock apple pie

In Australia, a persistent urban legend is that McDonald's apple pies were made of chokos (chayotes), not apples.^[29] This eventually led McDonald's to emphasise the fact that real apples are used in their pies. This legend was based on an earlier belief that tinned pears were often disguised chayotes. A possible explanation for the rumor is that there are a number of recipes in Australia that advise chayotes can be used in part replacement of canned apples to make the fruit go farther in making apple pies. This likely arose because of the economies of "mock" food substitutes during the Depression Era,^[30] shortages of canned fruit in the years following World War II, and the fact that apples do not grow in many tropical and subtropical parts of Australia, making them scarce. Chayotes, on the other hand, grow extensively in Australia, with many suburban backyards featuring chayote vines growing along their fence lines and outhouses.

Many modern Keto diet recipes take advantage of chayote fruit's low carb count and apple-like cooked texture as a substitute in high-carb apple desserts.

Chayote as a mummification agent

Due to its purported cell-regenerative properties, it is believed as a contemporary legend that this fruit caused the mummification of people from the Colombian town of San Bernardo who extensively consumed it. The very well preserved skin and flesh can be seen in the mummies today.^[31]

Gallery

• 
  Baby Chayote fruits in the rooftop garden (Nepal)
• 
  Chayote leaf (Vietnam)
• 
  Picking chayote (Vietnam)
• 
  Weighing and preparing chayote shoots (Vietnam)
• 
  Perulero, a yellowish-white variety (Guatemala)
• 
  Sprouting chayote
• 
  Chayote growing on vines (Vietnam)
• 
  Chayote growing on vines (Central America)
• 
  Chayote plantation (Réunion Island)
• 
  Chayote with beef (Philippines).
• 
  Chayote as harvested (Kattappana, India)
• 
  Leaf and tendril of chayote (Nepal)
• 
  Shoot tip with tendrils of chayote (Nepal)

See also

• Araujia sericifera, a toxic weed that is often described as "choko-like".
• List of vegetables

References

Sources

• 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^{[permanent dead link}
  ]

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Chayote.

• Mirliton.org, A nonprofit organization promoting growing techniques and conservation of mirlitons (Louisiana name for chayote)
• Chayote Information Purdue University Horticulture
• Growing Chayote Mother Earth News
• Güisquil (wiskil), Sechium edule, chayote is a major crop in Mayan agriculture Maya Ethnobotany