Text 4245, 115 rader
Skriven 2013-09-03 08:18:00 av MICHAEL LOO (1:123/140)
     Kommentar till en text av NANCY BACKUS
Ärende: Circling 96
===================
 NB> Ok, silly question, but what's a mirliton...?  I'm guessing a kind of
 NB> winter squash, perhaps...?

Summer, actually. They're a sort of pear- or ocarina-shaped
squash whose main advantage is a lack of the bitter chemically
taste that most summer squashes share (the cu gua is the worst
example of this, but I think that has been bred to accentuate
that characteristic). I knew it as christophene or chayote.

There are those who find it poisonous, apparently, see the
end of this article, especially its title as rendered at
the bottom.

MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.05

      Title: Chayote By Any Other Name (Sechium Edule)
 Categories: Infofile, Vegetables
      Yield: 1 Info file

MMMMM-----------------------ALSO KNOWN AS----------------------------
           -Cho-cho
           -Choko
           -Chuchu
           -Custard Marrow
           -Laboe siam
           -Mango squash
           -Mirliton
           -Pear Apple
           -Pepinella
           -Sou-sous
           -Vegetable Pear
           -Xuxu
           France: Christophene
           France: Brionne
           Italy: Cocuzza a centinaia

MMMMM-------------------------PRONOUNCED------------------------------
           -{chah-yoh'-tay}

  Chayote is a member of the family Cucurbitaceae. It is a perennial
  vine, often bearing several hundred greenish, pear-shaped fruits.
  Atypically for the cucurbits, each contains only one large seed.
  Native to Central America and southern Mexico, where it was a popular
  vegetable among the Aztecs, chayote is now widely grown. The tuberous
  roots and young shoots are boiled; the fruits are also boiled or
  eaten raw. [P. M. Smith; Grolier Encyclopedia]

  If you're trying to give hum-drum mealtimes a fresh new beat, think
  cha- cha; as in chayote, a fruit-vegetable crossover that tastes like
  a cross between a cucumber and an apple with a peppery bite, or a
  blend of cucumber, kohlrabi and zucchini. Once found only in
  specialty markets catering to Latin American, West Indian and Asian
  communities, this pear-shaped, squash-like fruit whose deeply
  furrowed bottom recalls the grin of a toothless elder is increasingly
  popping up in main-stream supermarkets. Commonly used throughout
  Latin America as a vegetable, chayote is grown in California, Florida
  and Louisiana, but is primarily imported from Mexico, Costa Rica and
  Guatemala. In 1996, 38 million pounds of chayote were brought into
  the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
  That's up from 20 million pounds in 1990 and only 5 million pounds in
  1980. The nation's growing Latino population and the popularity of
  Mexican food share credit for the gain. As non-Latins explore more of
  the multifaceted cuisines south of the border; they too are seeking
  out the ingredients on which those cooking cultures rely.

  Originating in the highlands of Mexico and Central American, chayote
  was once a principal food of the Aztecs and Mayas. Its name comes
  from the Nahuatl (or Aztec language) word 'chayohtli'. Cultivation of
  its perennial vine spread throughout the tropics, particularly in the
  West Indies, where chayote remains popular. Around the middle of the
  last century, chayote found its way to French Algeria and from there
  to France, where it is known as 'christophene' or 'brionne'. Today
  chayote goes by a variety of names, including 'cho-cho', 'choko',
  'chuchu', 'laboe siam', 'mirliton', 'pepinella', 'sou-sous', 'xuxu',
  'custard marrow', 'mango squash', 'pear apple', and 'vegetable pear'.
  In parts of southern Italy, chayote is called 'cocuzza a centinaia'
  (hundredfold squash), a reference to the plant's prolific production.
  A member of the gourd family, chayote contains a single seed that can
  be cooked along with its flesh. Because it remains firm after
  cooking, chayote lends itself to a variety of applications. It can be
  steamed, buttered and seasoned with fresh lemon or lime juice;
  sliced; battered and fried; halved, stuffed and baked; boiled and
  mashed; cubed or julienned and served raw; creamed or prepared au
  gratin. Fried, it tastes similar to eggplant or zucchini.

  There are male and female versions of chayote. The female fruit is
  smoother skinned; the male sports a spiny exterior. Chayotes range in
  color from white to dark green although the color makes no difference
  in the flavor. In the Dominican Republic, where chayote is a staple,
  it's often prepared with pork, especially in a stew; or peeled
  chayote is boiled for about 20 minutes, or until fork-tender, and
  sliced into scrambled eggs for a hearty breakfast or lunch. Other
  methods are to bake chayote halves stuffed with eggs and to combine
  boiled chayote with broccoli and string beans for a salad. In Mexico,
  pork paired with chayote in tomato sauce and cream of chayote soup
  are commonly consumed. In hot months, the refreshing taste of chayote
  is incorporated into salads dressed with vinaigrette.

  The versatile chayote also stars in desserts. Cooked in sugar and lime
  juice, it resembles stewed apples. In Jamaica, chayote chunks are
  used as a pie filling. Chayote-philes say smaller chayotes tend to be
  the most tender, and they usually recommend peeling the skin, which
  can be tough, before cooking. Some complain, however, that the
  slippery substance that a pared chayote releases can irritate a
  cook's skin, causing burning or numbing. To avoid problems, peel the
  chayote under running water, wear gloves or oil your hands slightly
  before handling. Lightly wrapped in the individual plastic sleeves in
  which they're often displayed, chayote can keep up to a month under
  refrigeration. [Chayote offers an exiting change of pace column by
  Mary Ann Castronovo Fusco; as published in the Oregonian FoodDay 1998]

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