All You Never Wanted to Know About the Choko
I had to learn all about the ubiquitous childhood vegetable nightmare, the Choko, as part of my permaculture design certificate. It’s really not as bad eating as you might think.
Latin Name: Sechium edule
Family: Cucurbitaceae
Other Names: Chayote
Origin: Domesticated in Southern Mexico and Guatemala in pre-Columbian times. It was introduced to Australia in the 19th century.
Description: The mature choko fruit is green and thin skinned, roughly pear-shaped with deep wrinkles. It grows on a climbing vine with stems of up to 10 metres.
Propagation: Can be propagated from a single sprouting fruit in late winter and spring in cooler areas, or all year round in tropical areas. It is not generally propagated from seed because of the difficulty of separating it from the fruit.
Cultivation: The choko is a vigorous vine which is easy to grow and perennial in mild, frost-free climates. Grows in nearly all soil types but prefers rich, well-drained organic soils. Has few predators or pests but needs protection from hot winds or frost. Plants bear fruit in autumn and winter. Can become a rampant weed under the right conditions.
Edible Parts: The root, young stems, seeds, and leaves are all edible.
Usage: The fruit, young stems and leaves can be eaten raw in salads. It can be used as a vegetable and boiled, stuffed, mashed, baked, fried, or pickled, or used as a fruit in pies and other desserts. The root is starchy and can be used as cattle fodder.
Nutrition: Contains fibre and vitamin C. The edible parts of the choko have a lower fibre, protein and vitamin content than other plants, but the micronutrients and macronutrients supplied by the fruit are adequate.
Other functions: Infusions of the leaves are said to dissolve kidney stones and to assist in the treatment of arteriosclerosis and hypertension (don’t try this at home). Choko stems have also been used in the manufacture of baskets and hats.
Recipes: While best known by Australians as a steamed and tasteless vegetable they forced to eat as children, it does work well in stirfry and other dishes where it can take on stronger flavours. Can also be used as an apple replacement in pies or fruit desserts.
June 9th, 2009 at 11:18 am
Thanks for this information, I am glad to hear permaculturalists are not treating this fascinating plant as just a weed to be detroyed. My neighbour left four large chokos on my doorstep a couple of weeks back. We´ve had them julienned with stir-fried udon, in an attempt to imitate Shanghai minced pork and cucumber handmade noodles; chokos mornay (my duaghter finished the leftovers in a sandwich, yuck); today I am cooking one in mock-herbal Chinese style chicken soup with dates and zucchini, and planting out the last!
December 19th, 2009 at 1:51 pm
cut the chokos about a quater inch thick.
fry in ketchup manis sugar and chili.
serve with fluffy white rice.
keep any not used as an instant pickle in the fridge.
May 14th, 2011 at 2:35 pm
This is interesting info, and a good, fun blog. Chokos are also great poaches like pears in red wine & other syrups. I have some rare white chokos at the moment, which I’ll be selling as seedlings soon if anyone is interested? Ph 0432 414 266.