Page 154 - WDT INTERACTIVE

chilies relleno I've ever tasted. As we were finishing, the Americas, Australia and Asia. It is used to treat
a young woman came into the dining room selling hypertension and arteriosclerosis and helps dissolve
pizza-sized pumpkin empanadas—which we had to kidney stones.
try, of course. Low in carbohydrates, chayote is gaining attention
Zuñiga and I shared many such feasts during our with Keto dieters. It can be boiled, sautéed, baked,
quest. Our assignment was straightforward. Re- fried, stuffed and crystallized into candy. Raw
search chayote in Mexico, visit farms and kitchens chayote tastes like a green apple blended with
and explain why this nondescript squash deserves cucumber and has the consistency of jicama. I find
international attention. My previous exposure to baked chayote rather tasteless, until transformed by
the bland, unremarkable fruit (squashes are fruits, a talented cook. Then it takes on the flavor of other
I learned) was as a tasteless side dish boiled with ingredients, turning creamy, cheesy, spicy or earthy.
carrots. I now known that lime, salt and chilies In the U.S., It occasionally appears on restaurant
transform chayote both raw and cooked into a tasty menus near the border. In Michoacán, we found
snack, and it is infinitely adaptable. High in fiber and chayote at roadside stands and on fancy restaurant
water and cheaper than a potato, chayote carries menus.
many names and serves as a staple in parts of Michoacán is Mexico's second largest producer

154 WDT MAGAZINE WINTER 2018