A pear-shaped squash with light green, wrinkled skin (chayote). Its mildly sweet, juicy flesh is used raw in salads and in cooked dishes; versatile thanks to its neutral flavor.
Chayote (Sechium edule) is a pear-shaped, light green squash with a wrinkled-grooved surface; it's native to Central America and grows widely across the world's hot regions. It contains a single flat, soft seed inside.
Its juicy, crisp flesh has a slightly sweet, neutral taste; this is why it's used versatilely both raw in salads and cooked in dishes. It has a character between a cucumber and a squash.
100 g of raw chayote contains about 19 kcal of energy, 4.5 g of carbohydrates, and 1.7 g of fiber; it's a source of vitamin C and folate. It's a very low-calorie vegetable.
With its very low calorie, fiber, and vitamin C content, chayote can be considered a light part of a balanced diet.
This information is general; chayote is a food, not a substitute for medical treatment.
Good chayote is a vegetable with a firm, light green, unblemished skin; wrinkled, softened, or sprouting examples are not preferred.
Chayote is stored in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator in a perforated bag for 1–2 weeks; it should be kept cool and dry. The cut form lasts a few days in an airtight container.
Chayote is grated raw for salads and pickles; cooked, it's used in sautés, soups, stews, and stuffed dishes. Thanks to its neutral taste, it absorbs spices and sauces well; its skin can be peeled or left on in young specimens.
Chayote is halved, the soft seed in the middle is removed, and the skin is peeled if desired and cut into slices, cubes, or grated; its slippery sap is reduced by rinsing under water.
The single soft seed in the middle can be eaten when cooked, though it's mostly removed; the main part used is the juicy flesh.
Yes; finely grated or sliced, it can be eaten raw in salads with its crisp texture.
When cut, it releases a slightly slippery sap; this is reduced by peeling under running water, and some prefer to wear gloves.
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