{"id":14222,"date":"2024-07-29T13:39:25","date_gmt":"2024-07-29T10:39:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.light-recipes.top\/?p=14222"},"modified":"2024-07-29T13:39:26","modified_gmt":"2024-07-29T10:39:26","slug":"what-it-is-benefits-and-uses-in-the-kitchen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.light-recipes.top\/?p=14222","title":{"rendered":"What It Is, Benefits and Uses in the Kitchen"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Spiny Zucchini or Chayote: What It Is, Its Benefits and How to Use It in the Kitchen<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

An exotic fruit of ancient origins, the prickly zucchini is a very common vegetable in South American cuisine, where it is called chayote and used just like a “simple” zucchini. A delicate flavor and countless beneficial properties are the characteristics of this increasingly well-known and appreciated food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also known as a zucchini<\/strong> , the spiny zucchini<\/strong> is a vegetable, the fruit of a plant belonging to the Cucurbitaceae<\/em> family , an exotic product, native to Central America<\/strong> where it is commonly called chayote.<\/strong> Similar to a large green pear, the spiny zucchini is characterized by a very sweet taste<\/strong> that slightly recalls that of the yellow pumpkin and by a peel covered in needles<\/strong> : a poor food, which arrived in Europe many centuries ago and which we increasingly find on the shelves of our supermarkets. Rich in mineral salts and vitamins, the spiny zucchini has a diuretic and draining effect, is incredibly light and can be used in the kitchen in many recipes<\/strong> . If you have never heard of it, it’s time to get to know it better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is chayote or spiny zucchini<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Native to Latin America, particularly Brazil and Costa Rica, the chayote<\/strong> is similar in shape to a large pear. It is also called sechio<\/strong> , centenary pumpkin<\/strong> , spiny potato<\/strong> and wolf’s tongue<\/strong> , as well as spiny zucchini<\/strong> : so many different names to indicate a green or yellow vegetable with an ovoid shape that can reach up to 15 centimeters in size, similar to a large zucchini covered with needle-shaped growths. Eaten both cooked and raw, the chayote is an incredibly light food, composed mainly of water, low in calories and rich in vitamins. The innermost part of the fruit is the embryo and the seed of the plant, while the surrounding pulp,<\/strong> which is also the edible part, is made up of the accumulation and reserve substance of the seed itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Properties of chayote<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

From a nutritional point of view, chayote is a real concentrate of vitamins<\/strong> , especially vitamin C and vitamin B, with a good quantity of water and a very low caloric intake<\/strong> (100 grams of product in fact contain just 19 calories). Rich in fiber<\/strong> and mineral salts<\/strong> , especially calcium, magnesium, zinc, phosphorus, iron and potassium, the chayote does not contain saturated, monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats; low sugar and protein content while there is no lack of polyphenols<\/strong> and antioxidant substances that make this vegetable an excellent ally for our health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Benefits<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Ever easier to find on the shelves of our supermarkets, the prickly courgette is full of benefits<\/strong> : diuretic, anti-aging, friend of the immune system and ally of the bones, here are all the reasons why you should consume it and always have it on hand for recipes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n