Chayote

Chayotte

What it is

The name comes from the Nahuatl chayotli, and the fruit holds a single flat seed that germinates inside it while the fruit is still hanging — you plant the whole chayote, never a seed. That seed stays soft and is eaten with the flesh, which no courgette can offer.

In the kitchen

Peel it under running water: the sap sets into a film on your hands that is a nuisance to remove afterwards. It keeps its bite through forty minutes in a gratin, so cut it noticeably thicker than you would courgette.

Goes with

Lime Chili pepper Cilantro / Coriander Garlic Cream Pork

In season alongside

Brousse du Rove Cucumber Fresh walnut Grayling Lettuce Pattypan squash

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