Chayote tropical fruit exotic plant

Description

Chayote is a low calorie food and an excellent source of fiber, making it ideal for weight loss.
Its high level of water makes it ideal for fighting constipation.
Lacking in saturated fat, chayote helps to level and control cholesterol in the body.
Its high content of vitamin B2 and iron stimulate the production of red blood cells to prevent or combat anemia.
And it regulates blood pressure as it is a good source of potassium. The word chayote comes from the Nahuatl “hitzayotli”, which means spiny zucchini.
It is a fleshy, juicy vegetable, with a slight flavor, from the cucurbitaceae family and with a very tasty seed.
It is oval in shape and is generally green in different shades.
Depending on the variety, it weighs between 200 grams (g) and 2 kilograms.
The plant in which it grows is a vine with guides that exceed 6 meters in length, its leaves are heart-shaped and rough, which measure between 10 and 15 centimeters (cm).
In addition to the fruit, its guides, its leaves and its root called chinchayote or cook are also used.
It is native to the south of the country and the north of Central America, but Mexico is considered to be the center of origin and domestication of this vegetable.
In the country’s markets there are three types of chayotes: the common, the hedgehog and the white.
The common chayote is light green in color, with thin skin and whitish green flesh with a mild flavor. It is found throughout the year throughout the national territory, which is why it is the most used of the three.
The hedgehog chayote is dark green in color with thick skin covered with spines. Its flesh is dark green, slightly lighter than the skin, its flavor is also mild, but with more character than that of the common chayote. It is larger than the common chayote and its weight generally exceeds 500 g. They are found in many regions of Mexico, although it is more frequent in the states of the center of the country, becoming unknown in other regions.
The white chayote is pale yellow and small, it does not exceed 12 cm in length. It is sold more and more frequently in the markets of the center of the country, but it is not widely used in regional cuisine.
Since chayote is a highly demanded vegetable, it is grown in large quantities in our country, with the central gulf region being the leader in the production of the smooth shell variety without thorns.

Additional information