Molly and I went grocery shopping on Saturday and I came across this strange looking produce item. Called chayote (pronounced “cha-YO-teh") in the U.S. and Latin America, it is a fruit belonging to the gourd family.

There was an interesting recipe on the Dole packaging and, being in an adventurous mood, I decided to try it out. Following is the recipe I used:

• 2 chayote (seeds removed)
• 1 small onion
• 1 can Ro*Tel
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup water

Cut the chayote and onion into cubes. Put them in a saucepan with the water and salt and bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Add Ro*Tel and heat. Add cheese just before serving. It’s optional, but I poured it over a serving of rotini.

Pros

This is a healthy meal. The main ingredients are fruits and vegetables. Chayote is rich in amino acids and vitamin C; it has diuretic, cardiovascular and anti-inflammatory properties.

This is a filling meal. I could barely finish my plate and most of the ingredients are low in calories.

Cons

The taste was kind of bland. I tried some chayote by itself before cooking it and I would describe the flavor as a cross between a potato and a not-so-sweet apple. If it wasn’t for the Ro*Tel and cheese, I fear this meal wouldn’t have had much flavor at all.

It took a long time to prepare. Chopping 2 chayote and an onion into small-to-medium size cubes took longer than I expected.

Summary

This recipe was interesting, but I wouldn’t make it again. It was too much preparation for too little flavor. Also, I doubt I will go looking for more chayote recipes because it’s a pretty bland fruit.