Chayote
The chayote, a pale-green pear-shaped gourd from a climbing vine, its two lobes pressed together like praying palms, hence the Cantonese name. Sold fresh and whole, it is stoned and chunked (young ones need no peeling), and in soup it keeps a gentle bite while giving a clear, subtly sweet broth.
TCM properties
Nature · neutral Flavour · sweet Meridians · lung、stomach
Traditional food therapy
In Cantonese food therapy this mild, neutral gourd is used to clear heat, moisten the lungs and generate fluids for a dry throat, and it is regarded as gentle enough for everyday family pots.
Preparation
Cut out the core and chop into pieces; young ones can be left unpeeled.
Origin
Most heavily grown in Yunnan and Guangdong within China. Sold in Australia as choko and locally grown; often scarce in winter
Availability in Australia
Easy to find
