DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS?
Do you know what this is, have you ever eaten it? It is Chayote (Chah-YOH-teh).....yes it is edible. I have grown several different kinds of squash but never heard of Chayote (Spanish) until the other day. It is native to Mesoamerica where it is a very important ingredient to the diet. A friend gave some to my mom and she passed one onto me, cooked it like I cook yellow squash, it was very good and tasty. I told my husband that it looks like an "old grandpa smiling with no teeth", ha, ha, I don't think he enjoyed the humor too much, since he is a grandpa, but a young grandpa! Anyway Chayote belongs to the plant family of melons, cucumbers, squash and gourds, it has to have lots of room to grow. It can be eaten raw, not for me, and cooked, when cooked like summer squash, it is generally lightly cooked to retain a crisp flavor. Chayote can also be eaten raw, I think I said this already, in salads and salsas, and it is often marinated with lemon or lime juice. Whether you cook it or eat it raw, it is a good source of amino acids and vitamin C.
Oh, yes!! In my country, this is called Chuchu. It grows in a vine and it produces like crazy.
ReplyDeleteNO!! Don't eat this thing raw, my friend!! Dang, it would be blaahhh as nothing else. I can't see it being good in your tummy either!!!
This idea must have come from some naturalist/crazy ding dong. This vegetable has to be cooked!
You cook it without peeling, so it does not get soggy. After it is cooked (a fork will go in easy), you PEEL it gently. After that, you part it in the center and REMOVE (!!) the flat, light colored pit out.
You may, then, cut it into wedges, not too big, not too small, and eat it as a salad. Raw sweet onions, olive oil, a little vinegar mixed with water, salt and pepper. Let it refrigerate first, so it comes out very refreshing!
Raw?... Only crazy people eat it this way, for total lack of knowledge of what it is.
I grew up with this thing in our backyard.