CHAYOTE -the iskoos

ISKOOS(nepali)CHAYO(japanese)-CHAYOTE,MIRLITON,Christophine(english)-Sechium edule- is the botanical name, There are 11 varieties in and around Sikkim. Prajwal Tamang submitted a PhD paper on it.(ie. what I read on 5 th Nov.1999-NB plus of The Statesman )

Although most people are familiar only with the fruit, which in culinary terms is a , the root, stem, seeds, and leaves are all edible.

The fruit does not need to be peeled and can be eaten raw in salads. It can also be boiled, stuffed, mashed, baked, fried, or pickled. Both the fruit and the seed are rich in amino acids and vitamin C

The tuberous part of the root is starchy and is both eaten by humans and used as cattle fodder.

The leaves and fruit have diuretic, cardiovascular and anti-inflammatory properties, and a tea made from the leaves has been used in the treatment of arteriosclerosis and hypertension, and to dissolve kidney stones.

In Taiwan, chayotes are widely planted for its shoot, known as lóng xü cài ( Dragon-whisker vegetable). Along with the young leaves, the shoot is a commonly consumed vegetable in the region.