Chayote (Sechium edule), is dubbed as a green gold for the food security and prosperity it brings. As a resilient crop easier grown with relatively cheaper inputs and less frequent and relatively lesser care needed, it is a chosen crop especially in certain parts of Benguet and Mt. Province which tops in the production of sayote in the region. It can be easily grown in backyards, gardens or in mountainsides. By the way, prices had been variable. Few days back, wholesale price at La Trinidad Trading Post was around P25/kg while retail price at the same market varied from P40-60/kg. Go Manila and don’t be surprised as years of comparison led me to conclude that price per kilo here in Benguet is the price per piece there or almost the same, to say the least.
In terms of nutrient content, the chayote fruit contains much water and has much less nutrients compared to the shoots or leaves. Let me compare chayote fruit of the same amount (100 grams edible portion) with other popular foods. Same caloric content with upo and cucumber, but slightly lower compared with green papaya, labong and cabbage. Almost the same carbohydrate content with cucumber and upo. Has higher calcium than cucumber, labong and upo but lower compared to green papaya. Beta carotene, an anti-oxidant and the form of vitamin A we get from plants, is similar with green papaya. It is next to cabbage with higher vitamin C content. The nutrients of the chayote leaves will be tackled next time.
In general, the chayote fruit may be lower in nutrients compared with squash, pechay and other vegetables. Its value however, can be enhanced with product development, that is, processing which also enables the addition of nutritious ingredients into the sayote-based products. With funds from the DOST-CAR, a chayote research and development (R & D) project was carried out by a team from the Benguet State University (BSU) composed of this writer, Dr. Norma Banania, Dr. Cynthia Garambas and Ms. Clarisse Danis. Completed early last year, 20 sayote recipes were developed/innovated and standardized. Technology transfers were carried out in Kibungan, Atok and Kapangan, Benguet; Bauko and Sagada, Mt. Province during the last quarter. To further enhance marketability, it participated in a regional technology pitching event a few days back, allowing representatives from DTI-CAR/Benguet, DA-CAR and Taraki Foundation to comment on product quality and marketing. The BSU-Bakery is seen as a potential partner to commercialize the technologies generated at the soonest time possible. Utility models for the technologies generated were processed with the IPOPHL.
The recipes include pandesal, dinner roll, cookies, bread sticks, jams, marmalades, pickles, pocket pie, and other baked and processed products, some of which utilize dried and minced nutritious leaves. Grow your own sayote and/or support our farmers by consuming local products.