Choko Salad- Salad Sousout

This Choko Salad- Salad Sousout– is refreshing and wholesome. The mildly sweet flavour and the crunchy texture of the choko paired with the tart-salty lemon dressing will delight even the skeptical tastebuds.

Origin of the Vegetable

Choko is native to the New World tropics and was taken to Europe by Spanish explorers, and from there it was introduced to parts of Asia.  It was later on introduced to Réunion Island and from there to Mauritius, and ultimately to the Seychelles.

Origin of the name

The common American-English name for the sousout (Sechium edule), is from the Spanish word ‘chayote’.

In Australia and New Zealand, it is known as choko. In Trinidad and Tobago it is known as “christophene” in memory of Christopher Columbus who introduced the vegetable to the West Indies and Europe. In Jamaica and other places in the western Caribbean, it is known as ‘chocho’. In France it is called “chayote”, and in New Caledonia ‘chouchoutte’ as well as ‘chayotte’, and in Mauritius, it is called sousou. 

Why not chouchoute in Réunion?

One would expect that, because in New Caledonia, which is a French Overseas Territory, the choko is called ‘chouchoute’, you will expect it to have the same name  in  Réunion Island , which is also a French Overseas Territory in the Indian Ocean near Mauritius. It is in fact known as chou- chou, because ‘chouchoute’ in Réunion can also refer to the female genital organ!

Interestingly though, ‘chouchoute’ is also used widely in the French language as a term of endearment for a small girl and ‘chouchou’ for a small boy, and at time shortened to ‘petit chou’ or ‘mon chou’. We also frequently use these same terms in Seychelles.

What is Choko?

Choko is vegetable that is roughly pear-shaped, somewhat flattened and with coarse wrinkles, ranging from 10 to 20 cm in length. It looks like a green pear, and it has a thin, green skin fused with the green to white flesh, and a single, large, flattened seed. The flesh has a fairly bland taste, and a texture is described as a cross between a potato and a cucumber.

The choko plant is a climber that grows on trellises and fences around many homes on almost every island. There was a place at La Misère village, on Mahé island, not far from the main road, next to the Catholic Church where somebody has been growing chokos for a very long time and I believe that he still does. La Misère has cool moist climate which is an ideal location for growing choko.

Although the root, stem, seeds and leaves are also edible, in Seychelles we eat mainly the fruit and would occasionally use the tender leaves as greens or bred in a bouyon. In Asia, the tubers of the plant are eaten like potatoes, while the stems and leaves are often consumed in salads and stir fries.

The two types of Chokos

Depending on the type of choko, the skin can be either smooth, as in the photo above, or prickly- sousout plim-, as in the photo below. But there is no difference in the flavour and texture, except that the prickly one may at time be a bit uncomfortable to handle. If you have chokos with prickles, knock them off with the blade of a potato peeler, but otherwise leave the skin on.

Choosing and Storing

Look for firm, even-coloured chokos which are 10-15 cm long and are not too deeply wrinkled. Avoid buying large and over-mature chokos, as they tend to have tough skin and a stringy pulp that are both unappetizing. Check for surface cuts, pits, cracks, or bruises on the skin, and if there are any, don’t buy them. However, minor scratches and mild bruises on the skin are acceptable.

When the chokos start to get old, the peel is often sticky. It is therefore recommended that you peel it under running water.

To store chokos, place first inside a paper bag and keep inside the vegetable compartment of your refrigerator. They will last inside the refrigerator for two to three weeks. Just make sure to use them as soon as possible, especially if they are mature because they may start sprouting in the fridge.

The two types of Salad

In Seychelles there are two versions of the choko salad. One is raw and one is cooked and they are both as popular. For this post, the Choko Salad- Salad Sousout– is done with the cooked choko and we will post the raw choko salad soon.

Preparing the salad

Boil or steam the Chokos

Wash the chokos and slice into quarters lengthwise. Do not skin.  Boil them in slightly salted water in a medium size pot for about 15 minutes or until tender. Once cooked, remove them from boiling liquid and place under cold water to stop the cooking process, as chokos need to be crunchy. You may choose to let the slices air cool, although you may run the risk of a lower level of crunchiness.

Peel and slice the chokos

Once the sliced chokos have cooled down, gently peel off the skin by using a pairing knife and then remove the seed from the centre.  You may, at times, be able to  peel them by just gently lifting and peeling the skin with your fingers and only use a knife on the ‘crevices’.   You then slice them thinly, approximately ½ cm thick,  and place them nicely in a flat bowl or even a plate.

If you choose to steam your chokos, you may decide to peel them as well as to slice them before you steam. This is because there will be less handling and, they will, consequently, be less likely to break up when making the salad.

Prepare the vinaigrette

Prepare your vinaigrette by combining the onion, oil, lemon juice and salt in a small bowl and, with your fingers, massage the onion for a minute or so in order to soften it a bit and mellow the flavour. Otherwise, the pungency of the onion will overpower the delicate flavour of your chokos. This process is locally called mertri (fr. meurtrir meaning to bruise) or kreve (fr. crever meaning to kill).

Once the onion is softened and vinaigrette is ready, gently place it on the sliced chokos. Avoid tossing the choko slices because they will break.

Note

As you can see from this recipe, this choko salad, as well as most other Seychellois Creole salads, are usually very simple and wholesome. The ingredients for the vinaigrette is simply oil, lemon juice (or lime juice, toddy vinegar or any type of vinegar) salt and cracked pepper. Thick dressing and mayonnaise-based dressings do not traditionally feature in the Seychellois Creole cuisine.

Rafresisan- (Fr. Rafraichissant)

Traditionally, the choko was not boiled in salted water. This was because the water, or cooking liquor, was and is still used as a rafresisan or lafresisan, from the French ‘tisane rafraîchissante’. Rafresisan in the Seychelles are usually infusions prepared from medicinal plants and drank in order to clean or purify the body.  The meaning of ‘rafraîchir’ (Eng. to refresh) has nothing to do with iced drinks or cooling down, but refers to the popular medicinal notion of preventing imbalance in the body.

 The rafresisan made from choko is supposed to assist in getting rid of inflammatory diseases by suppressing the production of pro-inflammatory compounds.

It is also reported that rafresisan made from choko detoxifies  the liver; treats ulcers; protects the kidneys against damage caused by toxins, drugs and chemicals, and prevents the onset of anemia.

Choko is also rich source of dietary fiber, antioxidants, iron, manganese, phosphorus, zinc, potassium, folate, copper and vitamins B1, B2, B6 and C. It possesses anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal activities. It promotes the elimination of the bad bacteria and prevents the interaction between the bad bacteria and the healthy cells.

Handy Tips

If boiling or steaming, always lightly cook, for about 15-20 minutes, to retain the crispy texture.

If you are boiling the chokos, it is recommended that you leave the skin on to retain the flavour. You can then remove the peel after they have been boiled . However, very young chokos may be eaten with its skin on as well as its seeds which have a nutty flavour.

Here is the recipe for Choko Salad-Salad Sousout

Did you make this recipe?

I hope you will enjoy cooking this dish. Please let me know how it turned out for you. If you have a different version of the recipe or have related questions, please leave your comments below.

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