Chayote: a thousand-year-old and highly nutritious plant

Chayote has several uses, one of them is food, as it has no cholesterol or saturated fat and few calories, it is a beneficial food for those who consume it because it has high levels of potassium that help balance the effects of sodium, it is an excellent source of dietary fiber, as well as vitamin C, B9, B2, and iron.

Three types of this vegetable are known in Mexico: green chayote without thorns, white chayote, and hedgehog chayote. Of this triad, the pulp of the fruit is usually consumed, but it should be noted that in some regions of Central America the tender leaves are used in soups, stews, or salads; the cooked stems, and even its seed and root.

Chayote is a product rich in properties, which is why it is essential to take care of its cultivation.

This product is not limited to being used in gastronomy, its contributions range from medicinal use as an aid in the treatment of various ailments and diseases, through the manufacture of handmade baskets and hats, to the use, in India, of the fruit and roots as food for livestock.

Some properties and characteristics of chayote

The pulp of the chayote is sweet-tasting, contains a lot of water and its caloric contribution is only 11 calories per 100 grams.

The chayote is a source of energy for the body and works much better than any energy drink.

Chayote can be eaten raw, boiled, steamed, baked, fried, mashed.

Thanks to the small and medium-sized producers, in every market in Mexico we can find up to three types of chayote: the common, the hedgehog, and the white.

The chayote is a vegetable of Central American origin with great commercial importance in Mexico, Costa Rica, and Brazil. Its name comes from the Nahuatl hitzayotli, which means thorny zucchini. Mexico is the center of origin and domestication of chayote and this vegetable is in great demand in the country, which is why it is grown in large quantities.