The Merliton a.k.a. chayote a.k.a "frowny fruit"

this is the Merliton, also known as chayote, and about a dozen other names. it's eaten both fresh and cooked. i looked for a few minutes for some recipes, and glanced over some phrase like "peeling a whole chayote is hard on the hands." but i took that to mean it was a hard skin to peel off.
but when i took my peel to it, i discovered what they meant. after you take off a piece of the skin, the flesh exudes some droplets of liquid like a carved pumpkin might. a little slimy, but i just washed it off in the sink. anyway, by the time i was done making the salad, my fingers that had touched the liquid were very dry, peely even.so there must be some skin irritating compounds as a defense against predators.




tastes like a cucumber without the bitterness, center seed thing seemed edible, like a big flat almond.
I made a salad with with carrot, chayote, and golden delicious apples (half of each). then dressed with a little olive oil, grind of seasalt and a squeeze of lemon for brightness.
it was very fresh and light. :D