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Chayote
Scientific Name: Sechium edule
Family: Cucurbitaceae
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The Chayote is a strange vegetable. It is a perennial, climbing plant, with shoots sometimes several yards long. The fruit, spiny outside and of teh size of a large pear, contains only one seed which has the unusual property of germinating while still inside the fruit. The composition of the chayote is similar to that of zucchini: 90 - 92% water, 1% protein, 3 - 4% carbohydrates, and traces of lipids. The culinary uses are also similar, but more varied. The chayote can be stewed, stuffed, fried, boiled, or cooked in many other ways. It is also possible to use the young shoots in the same manner as asparagus, and even the tuberous roots, rich in starch, formed by plants living in regions where they behave as perennials, are edible. [Bianchini, Francesco, Corbetta, Francesco, Pistoia, Marilena, The Complete Book of Fruits and Vegetables, United States Translation: Crown Publishers, New York, 1976; Originally published in Italy as I Frutti della Terra, Arnoldo Mondadori Publisher, Italy, 1973]