In brief
- Chayote salad, or christophine salad, is a fresh Caribbean starter: chayote boiled in water, diced, dressed with a lime, garlic and parsley vinaigrette.
- Origin: French Antilles (Guadeloupe, Martinique), made from a vegetable native to Mexico and Central America.
- Key ingredients: chayote (christophine), garlic, parsley, oil, lime.
- Starter served fresh or warm, as a side to Caribbean family meals.
Origins and cultural history of the chayote salad
Chayote, called christophine in the French Antilles, is native to Mexico and Central America, where it has been grown since pre-Columbian times. Its name comes from the Nahuatl chayotli. The name christophine, by tradition, refers to Christopher Columbus, linked by popular accounts to the discovery of the plant in Central America at the end of the fifteenth century.
The plant later naturalized across most tropical regions, including the French Antilles, where christophine became a common everyday vegetable, prepared in salads, gratins or as a side dish.
What are the essential ingredients of the chayote salad
The Caribbean chayote salad combines the cooked vegetable with a simple vinaigrette, seasoned with garlic and lime.
- chayote (christophine)
- garlic
- shallot
- parsley
- oil
- lime
What to know about the chayote salad
Chayote salad, also called christophine salad, is an Antillean starter made with chayote boiled in water and then diced. It is dressed with a vinaigrette of lime juice, garlic, shallot and parsley. The vegetable is cooked whole and unpeeled, and the skin and the core are removed once the flesh is tender and has cooled a little. It is served chilled or lukewarm, with Antillean family meals.
Frequently asked questions about the chayote salad
Are chayote and christophine the same vegetable?
Yes: christophine is the name used in the French Antilles for chayote (Sechium edule), a vegetable native to Mexico and Central America, now grown in most tropical regions, including Réunion and West Africa.
Should chayote be peeled before or after cooking?
It is cooked whole, without peeling. Once the flesh is tender and the vegetable has cooled slightly, the skin comes off easily, as does the fibrous core, before dicing the flesh.
Where to find the ingredients for the chayote salad in France?
NKOSI sells the lime juice, the garlic paste and the dehydrated shallot for this recipe on nkosiagro.com and ships them from the Paris area within 24 to 72 working hours, to mainland France (2 to 3 working days) and to ten European countries. The minimum order is 39 €: in France, delivery to a pickup point is then free, and home delivery is free from 69 €.
