{"id":288,"date":"2022-09-08T12:51:01","date_gmt":"2022-09-08T12:51:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/survivalfoodplants.com.au\/?post_type=product&p=288"},"modified":"2025-08-04T10:27:52","modified_gmt":"2025-08-04T10:27:52","slug":"choko","status":"publish","type":"product","link":"https:\/\/survivalfoodplants.com.au\/index.php\/product\/choko\/","title":{"rendered":"Choko"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

Botanical Name:<\/strong>\u00a0Sechium edule<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Some other names:<\/strong>\u00a0Chayote, Alligator pear, vegetable pear, christophene, citrayota<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

How to grow it:<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h3>\r\n

Choko is a vigorous perennial vine<\/b> that can grow many metres in a season, scrambling over fences, trellises, sheds, or any nearby vegetation. It\u2019s mostly grown for its pear\u2011shaped fruit, but every part of the plant is edible, which makes it an absolute gem in the garden.<\/p>\r\n

Native to Central America<\/b>, choko thrives in tropical and subtropical climates<\/b>, where it can grow almost rampantly if given space. In cooler zones, it dies back in winter and won\u2019t tolerate heavy frosts \u2013 in these climates it\u2019s often treated as an annual<\/b> or heavily mulched to protect the roots.<\/p>\r\n

It\u2019s hardy, but like most vines it performs best in full sun<\/b> with moist, well\u2011drained soil<\/b>. In heavy soils, the roots can rot if left waterlogged.<\/p>\r\n

Propagation couldn\u2019t be simpler: just bury a whole fruit<\/b> in spring and it will almost always sprout \u2013 you\u2019ll see this happening with any fallen fruit anyway. Tip cuttings in spring also work well, but planting a fruit is the foolproof way.<\/p>\r\n

Choko isn\u2019t really a pot plant unless you just want to harvest young shoots and tendrils<\/b> for stir\u2011fries \u2013 in that case, plant 2\u20133 fruits in a pot, mulch well, and snip regularly to keep it controlled.

<\/p>\r\n

Herbal & Nutrient Value<\/b><\/h3>\r\n

Choko is surprisingly nutritious for such an easy\u2011going plant. The fruit is an excellent source of vitamin<\/b>\u202f<\/b>C<\/b> (important for immunity and skin health) and also provides B vitamins, zinc, copper, manganese, and potassium<\/b> \u2013 all key for energy, nerve function, and general wellbeing.<\/p>\r\n

Traditional medicine in parts of Central America and Asia uses choko for supporting heart health and circulation<\/b>. The leaves and shoots are also rich in minerals and antioxidants, and the plant is valued as a gentle tonic green \u2013 something you can eat often without overpowering flavour or heaviness.<\/p>\r\n

Traditional & Home Remedies<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

Chayote leaf tea:<\/strong> Steep fresh leaves in boiling water for 10 mins; drink for blood pressure support.
Kidney support broth:<\/strong> Simmer chayote fruit and shoots; drink liquid as a detox tonic.
Weight-loss salad:<\/strong> Raw chayote slices eaten daily in salads (folk belief).
Topical compress:<\/strong> Crushed leaves applied to minor rashes or inflammation.

<\/p>\r\n

Using It in the Kitchen<\/b><\/h3>\r\n

Choko is a kitchen chameleon. The fruit is the star \u2013 smaller fruits can be chopped and eaten raw in salads or tossed into stir\u2011fries, while larger fruits are best quartered and baked<\/b>, or added to curries, soups, and casseroles<\/b> where they soak up flavours beautifully.<\/p>\r\n

But the real secret is that every part of the plant is edible<\/b>:
Shoots and tendrils<\/b> \u2013 snap them off and toss into stir\u2011fries or salads. Tender, green, and lightly sweet.
Tubers<\/b> \u2013 dug up in the dormant season and used like potatoes or yams.
Seeds<\/b> \u2013 inside the fruit, with a nutty flavour that\u2019s lovely fresh or roasted.<\/p>\r\n

A good scrub is all that\u2019s needed for the fruits; there\u2019s no peeling required unless you prefer a softer texture.<\/p>\r\n

Simple Recipe ideas:<\/b>
– Stir\u2011Fried Shoots<\/b> \u2013 fry snapped shoots and tendrils with garlic and soy for a bright green side.
– Stuffed Choko<\/b> \u2013 halve large fruits, scoop slightly, fill with mince or beans, and bake.
– Choko Curry<\/b> \u2013 simmer chopped fruit with coconut milk, curry paste, and spices.
– Roasted Choko Wedges<\/b> \u2013 quarter fruit, toss with oil, salt, and herbs, roast until golden.
– Seed Snacks<\/b> \u2013 pop the seeds out of ripe fruit, roast with a little salt for a nutty treat.

<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\"\"\r\n
Choko fruits cut to show flesh

<\/em><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Other uses<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Choko isn\u2019t just food \u2013 it\u2019s garden infrastructure<\/b>. It\u2019s perfect for growing over a chook run<\/b>, providing shade and fresh greens for your hens, and the prolific foliage can be chopped back repeatedly for mulch<\/b>. Each trim encourages a flush of new, tender shoots for cooking.

<\/p>\r\n

Why it’s a survival plant:<\/h3>\r\n

It\u2019s easy to grow, hugely productive, drought\u2011tolerant, and every part of it can be eaten<\/b>. Once you plant a vine, you\u2019ll have food, shade, and mulch for years to come \u2013 all from one plant.<\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Choko is one of those plants that just keeps giving \u2013 a hardy vine that clambers over anything in its path and feeds you from root to tip. With edible fruit, shoots, seeds, and even tubers, it\u2019s one of the most useful and generous survival plants you can grow.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":82,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"neve_meta_sidebar":"","neve_meta_container":"","neve_meta_enable_content_width":"off","neve_meta_content_width":100,"neve_meta_title_alignment":"","neve_meta_author_avatar":"","neve_post_elements_order":"","neve_meta_disable_header":"","neve_meta_disable_footer":"","neve_meta_disable_title":""},"product_brand":[],"product_cat":[39,41,45,46],"product_tag":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-288","1":"product","2":"type-product","3":"status-publish","4":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"product_cat-drought-resistant-plants","7":"product_cat-mulch-plants","8":"product_cat-soups-and-curries","9":"product_cat-stir-fry-plants","11":"first","12":"instock","13":"shipping-taxable","14":"product-type-simple"},"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/survivalfoodplants.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product\/288","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/survivalfoodplants.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/survivalfoodplants.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/product"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/survivalfoodplants.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=288"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/survivalfoodplants.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/82"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/survivalfoodplants.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=288"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"product_brand","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/survivalfoodplants.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_brand?post=288"},{"taxonomy":"product_cat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/survivalfoodplants.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_cat?post=288"},{"taxonomy":"product_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/survivalfoodplants.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_tag?post=288"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}