Plant atlas Short
Chayote: Fruit, Shoots, Leaves and Root Are Edible
Chayote / Sayote · ฟักแม้ว · Sechium edule
Chayote / Sayote — ฟักแม้ว (fak-maeo) — Sechium edule.
Most people cook the chayote fruit and toss the rest, but the young shoots — ฟักแม้ว, fak-maeo — plus the leaves and starchy root are edible too. You mostly eat the fruit, which is mild, watery, and low in calories. Chayote root extract was tested against blood-pressure markers in animals. The fruit contains vitamin C and folate. Your body uses vitamin C to build collagen, the protein that holds skin together, and it also supports normal immune function and works as an antioxidant that protects your cells. Folate supports normal cell division and blood formation, which matters most before and during pregnancy. Pad Yod Fak Maeo throws the shoots into a hot wok with garlic, bird's eye chili, and oyster sauce, served hot with jasmine rice. Yam Yod Fak Maeo tosses the blanched shoots with shrimp, squid, roasted peanuts, and a spicy, sour lime dressing, served beside fried fish. You usually cook the chayote fruit before eating. To grow your own, lay a whole sprouted fruit on its side and half-bury it. Follow Longevity Biome for a new Thai plant every day.
Stir-Fried Chayote Shoots — ผัดยอดฟักแม้ว (pad-yod-fak-maew)
Spicy Chayote Shoot Salad — ยำยอดฟักแม้ว (yum-yod-fak-maew)
Source: Lombardo-Earl G et al. (2014). Antihypertensive activity of Sechium edule roots. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2014:594326. DOI:10.1155/2014/594326 (PMID 24812568)
Educational content, not medical advice! Consult your doctor before changing diet or medication.
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Food and nutrients
Rich in: vitamin C, folate
Research context
Chayote extract was tested against blood-pressure markers in rats — Evid Based Complement Alternat Med, 2014