Name a single-seeded vegetable – a question often asked in most of the competitive exams and the answer is Chow-Chow. Scientifically known as Sechium edule with a fleshy fruit and single seed, the Chow-Chow popularly known as squash or chayote is a very popular vegetable.

    The Chow-Chow is a climbing plant member of the Cucurbitaceae family and is an underutilised vegetable crop. It was initially grown in Mexico and Guatemala and later introduced to the United States, Europe, Africa, China and South-Asian countries .These days, it is grown throughout the world in tropical and subtropical areas.

   The plant’s edible parts are its fruits, tender shoots, young leaves and tuberous roots.Chow-Chow is a fruit but most often used as a vegetable. It is often used in the place of potato. Chow-Chow fruits are bright green and pear-shaped. There are many nutritional and medicinal benefits of chayote owing to the bioactive....