Food Glossary: Ayote

A member of the squash family, this green vegetable is a common feature in the Nicaraguan meal.  Similar to Chayote and also known as Cuban pumpkin or squash.  They are round in shape and range in size and once purchased they can keep for up to a month in a cool, dark place.  When cooking remove the seeds and fibres (although the seeds can be cooked, just as usual pumpkin or squash seeds).  I find it hard to distinguish between the ayote and chayote but from memory both were fairly watery and so my advice would be don’t overcook them!