Overview

Chayote (Sechium edule) is a pale green, pear-shaped squash in the gourd family Cucurbitaceae, native to Mexico and Central America. Its flesh is mild, crisp, and slightly sweet, with a texture between cucumber and zucchini. The entire plant is edible: the fruit, tender shoots, leaves, and even the tuberous root are used in various cuisines.

Origin and history

Chayote is originally native to Mexico or Central America, where it grows abundantly and has been cultivated since pre-Columbian times [1]. It was domesticated by Mesoamerican peoples and spread through the Americas after European contact. Spanish colonizers introduced chayote to the Philippines, the Caribbean, and other tropical regions, where it naturalized and became a staple ingredient. In Southeast Asia, it is now widely grown and used in local cooking [2].

Varieties and aliases

  • Chayote (Mexico, United States)
  • Christophene or christophine (Caribbean)
  • Cho-cho (Jamaica)
  • Mirliton or merleton (Louisiana)
  • Chuchu (Brazil)
  • Centinarja (Malta)
  • Pear squash, vegetable pear
  • Chouchoute (Réunion)
  • Choko (Australia, New Zealand)
  • Pipinola (Hawaii)
  • Güisquil (El Salvador) [5]
  • Sayote (Philippines)
  • Sko si (Cambodia) [2]
  • Achojcha / chayote tierno (Guatemalan Pantry catalog) [4]

Culinary uses

Chayote is prepared in a wide range of savory dishes. In Mexico and Central America, it is diced into soups (sopa de res, sopa de pata), stews (hilachas in Guatemala), and salads. The fruit can be boiled, steamed, stuffed, or fried. In the Philippines, chayote (sayote) is a common substitute for green papaya in tinola, a ginger-chicken soup [3]. In Cambodia, it is sliced into soups and stir-fries, and the vine’s tender shoots are eaten as a green [2]. In El Salvador, güisquil appears in sopa de pata (cow’s foot soup) and sopa de pescado (fish soup) [5]. The leaves and tendrils are cooked as greens in Guatemala and other highland regions [4]. The root, which develops in older plants, can be boiled or roasted like a potato.

Cross-cuisine context

Chayote has a direct analogue in the bottle gourd (upo) used in Filipino cooking, which is described as a close substitute due to its similarly mild, watery flesh [3]. In Mexican cuisine, chayote is the standard name for the same plant, and it is used in comparable ways: in caldos, as a vegetable side, or raw in salads. In Salvadoran cooking, güisquil is identical to Mexican chayote, and the young fruit (ayote tierno) is used in pupusas as a filling [5].

Notes for cooks

  • Chayote skin is edible but can be tough; peeling is common for soups and stews. The central seed is also edible.
  • The fruit releases a sticky, milky sap when cut that can irritate skin. Washing hands or wearing gloves is recommended.
  • Choose firm, unblemished fruit with bright green skin. Smaller chayotes tend to be more tender and have fewer seeds.