New Food Review: Chayote Squash
- Rebecca Snyder
- Sep 11, 2020
- 3 min read
Updated: Sep 13, 2020
If you’re like me, when you see something new in the grocery store, you can’t help but try it! Recently, I made my first visit to Ward’s, a local Gainesville supermarket, and was exposed to some new foods that I was super excited to try out, and maybe even add to my repertoire for the future. The first of these new foods that I’ll be reviewing is the chayote squash, which I hadn’t even heard of until I saw it at the store.
The chayote squash is native to Mexico and Central America, and it holds many health benefits mainly due to its fiber, antioxidant, and folate contents. The antioxidants in chayote may reduce risk of some cancers and reduce inflammation. Folate may support healthy pregnancies by reducing the risk for neural tube defects. The soluble fiber may help to keep blood sugar controlled. There still is a lot left to learn about the many benefits of chayote. While scientists haven’t yet figured out exactly why, chayote has been shown to support liver function by lowering fat accumulation in the liver. If all of those health benefits aren’t enough to give chayote a try, it is also known for its subtle taste that has been described as “a mildly sweet apple, but mixed with cucumber.” (The sources for all of this information are listed below!)
I did some research on how to prepare it and flipped through some recipe options, and landed on doing something inspired by Philo’s Kitchen’s recipe, which used fresh mint that I am lucky to have on hand because of my roommate’s mint plant. You can find Philo’s Kitchen's recipe linked below, along with what I ended up making.
Then I was ready to start by peeling the green outer layer off, revealing the white interior. Unfortunately, I don’t own a peeler, so I carefully used a knife to get off as much of the skin as possible (please be safe if you try this at home!), but I didn’t have to stress too much because the skin is fully edible; it just has a tougher, not as pleasant texture. Then, I cut the squash into bite sized chunks, and they were ready to be cooked.
I minced a couple cloves of garlic and added it to a pan with around a tablespoon of olive oil, and added the squash once the garlic was fragrant. After around ten minutes of sautéing, the chayote was tender and golden brown. I took the pan off of the heat, roughly chopped a few mint leaves and mixed them in with the squash and ate immediately.
I was super happy with the end result! It was a very refreshing flavor, and the mint was a great pairing with it. I can just picture a similar dish at a barbecue or as the perfect side for any meal.
If you try out this recipe (or chayote in general), let me know what you think!
Mint Chayote Recipe:
1 Chayote Squash
2 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp coarsely chopped fresh mint
Wash and peel chayote and chop into bite-sized pieces.
Add olive oil to a pan on medium heat. While the oil is heating, mince the garlic, and then add that to the pan as well.
Once the garlic is fragrant (2-3 minutes), add the chayote. Stir occasionally until the chayote is tender and starting to get golden brown.
Add coarsely chopped fresh mint, and stir.
Serve immediately and enjoy!
Sources:
Very interesting. Will look for it in grocery store in Maryland.