Another Strange Vegetable

[Yorky]

Occasionally my wife arrives from the market with some strange vegetable/fruit. This evening it was this:

Is it some strange cucumber/courgette?

 

[Yorky]

Checking Google they are apparently chayote (Sechium edule).

 

[epicuric]

So what will you do with it?

 

[Yorky]

So what will you do with it?

I'm sure my wife will have some ideas, I'll let you know.

 

[Caribbean girl]

This vegetable is known as christophine in my country. It is very popular where I live and I use it regularly in my meals. I would peel it, slice it up, and steam it along with other vegetables. That is about the only way that I can remember using it. It has a light sweet taste to it. It is one of the more expensive vegetables over here, but nice nevertheless.

 

[epicuric]

What is it like, taste/texture wise? It looks like an unripe fleshy gourd.

 

[Morning Glory]

Its a long long time since I cooked one (I used to live near a West Indian market in London). From memory its a bit like a courgette.

 

[Duck59]

I've had it in curries and thought it a little more like aubergine. Rather like aubergines, these things are quite absorbent and hence work quite well in dishes with spicy sauces.

 

[Morning Glory]

I've had it in curries and thought it a little more like aubergine. Rather like aubergines, these things are quite absorbent and hence work quite well in dishes with spicy sauces.

Should suit @Yorky then!

 

[Yorky]

Should suit @Yorky then!

If you remember MG, I gave most of my aubergine curry away!

 

[Yorky]

กระชาย

This looks like galangal but smells and tastes like ginger.

Google states: "Boesenbergia rotunda, commonly known as Chinese keys, fingerroot, lesser galangal or Chinese ginger, is a medicinal and culinary herb from China and Southeast Asia."

 

[Morning Glory]

กระชาย

This looks like galangal but smells and tastes like ginger.

Google states: "Boesenbergia rotunda, commonly known as Chinese keys, fingerroot, lesser galangal or Chinese ginger, is a medicinal and culinary herb from China and Southeast Asia."

View attachment 3407

So what are you going to do with it?

 

[Yorky]

So what are you going to do with it?

I am going to do nothing; I'll just watch what my wife does with it (and photograph it if it stays on the table long enough).

 

[Yorky]

This stuff arrived in the post and originated in the jungles of the North West of Thailand. It grows wild and is also prevalent in the jungles of Penninsula Malaysia. The ethnobotany name is Dioscorea hispida or ubi gadong in Bahasa (กลอย in Thai). It's a poisonous type of yam (apparently) which needs extensive "processing" to remove the toxin. It has been dried for long term storage and will require re-hydrating prior to eating (but not by me!).

 

[Yorky]

I contacted my KL resident food expert and she's never heard of it!