CHAYOTE

In the most common variety, the fruit is roughly pear-shaped, somewhat flattened and with coarse wrinkles, ranging from 10 to 20 cm in length. It looks like a green pear, and it has a thin, green skin fused with the green to white flesh, and a single, large, flattened pit. The flesh has a fairly bland taste, and a texture is described as a cross between a potato and a cucumber. Although generally discarded, the seed has a nutty flavor[citation needed] and may be eaten as part of the fruit.
Chayote vine can be grown on the ground, but as a climbing plant, it will grow onto anything, and can easily rise as high as 12 meters when it can reach a tree or house. Its leaves are heart-shaped, 10–25 cm wide and with tendrils on the stem. The flowers are cream-colored or somewhat green that come out beneath a leaf or branch. The plant bears male and female flowers. The male flowers will show in clusters; female flowers are usually solitary. The plant’s fruit is light green and elongated with deep ridges lengthwise.


MEDICINAL


The fruit does not need to be peeled and can be eaten raw in salads.[citation needed] Cooked or raw,[citation needed] it has a very mild flavor by itself, and is commonly served with seasonings (e.g., salt, butter and pepper in Australia) or in a dish with other vegetables and/or flavorings. It can also be boiled, stuffed, mashed, baked, fried, or pickled in escabeche sauce. Both fruit and seed are rich in amino acids and vitamin C. Fresh green fruit are firm and without brown spots or signs of sprouting. Smaller ones are more tender.
The tuberous part of the root is starchy and eaten like a yam (can be fried). It can be used as pig or cattle fodder, as well.
The leaves and fruit have diuretic, cardiovascular and anti-inflammatory properties, and a tea made from the leaves has been used in the treatment of arteriosclerosis and hypertension, and to dissolve kidney stones.
In Louisiana Creole and Cajun cuisine, the fruit, known as mirliton (pronounced ˈmɜːlɪtɒn) also spelled mirletons or merletons (plural -- the r is often silent, e.g. Cajun me-lay-taw or urban Creole miʁl-uh-tɔ̃ns)is a popular seasonal dish for the holidays, especially around Thanksgiving, in a variety of recipes.
Chayote is an important part of traditional diets across Mesoamerica, and can be found in a variety of dishes.
In the Philippines, the plant is known as "Sayote" and is grown mostly on Mountainous part of the country such as Baguio City and parts of Cordillera Administrative Region Chayote is used in many kinds of dishes such as soup, Stir-fried vegetables and chop suey.
In Indonesia, chayotes are called labu siam and widely planted for their shoots and fruit. It's generally used in Sundanese food as "lalap" and one of ingredients for Sundanese cuisine called "sayur asem".
In Taiwan, chayotes are widely planted for their shoots, known as lóng xü cài (龍鬚菜, literally "dragon-whisker vegetable"). Along with the young leaves, the shoot is a commonly consumed vegetable in the region.
In Thai cuisine, the plant is known as sayongte (Thai: ซายองเต้) or fak maeo (Thai: ฟักแม้ว, literally meaning "Miao melon"). It grows mainly in the mountains of northern Thailand. The young shoots and greens are often eaten stir-fried or in certain soups.
In Brazil and other Latin countries, it is used in salads,[citation needed] soups or soufflés. The younger, spikeless fruits may be eaten raw.[citation needed]
In Nepal, the plant and fruit is called iskus (इस्कुस in Nepali), probably derived from the word squash. Its shoots, fruit and roots are widely used for different verities of curries. Boiled fruits and roots are used as food.
Chayote is also popular in South Indian cuisine. It is popularly referred to as 'Bangalore brinjal' and is used in vegetable stews.
Many cultures have found that if the harvest of chayote is abundant, it is cheaper to use it as food for pigs or cattle than the usual commercial feed.