Chayote leaves are small to medium in size and thin, broad, and heart-shaped, approximately 10-25 centimeters wide. The vibrant green leaves have a sandpaper-like texture and have 3-5 pointed lobes with small thin tendrils attached near or at the base of the stem. Chayote leaves grow on a perennial climbing plant that has stems that can reach up to ten meters in length. The plant can also sprawl out over a large area on the ground and uses its leaves and tendrils to protect its fruit. Chayote leaves are crisp and juicy with a mild, sweet, and grassy flavor with mellow undertones of cucumber.
Chayote leaves, botanically classified as Sechium edule, are members of the Cucurbitaceae family along with squash, cucumber, and melon. The chayote plant has prolific growth habits and is commonly found growing on walls in backyards. The entire Chayote plant is edible including the roots, shoots, fruits, seeds, leaves, and flowers, and the leaves are used for culinary purposes and medicinally in Asia and Central and South America.
Chayote leaves are traditionally used in the Americas and the Caribbean for its anti-inflammatory properties. In Belize, Jamaica, and the Yucatan peninsula, the leaves are boiled and made into a tea infusion to help reduce symptoms of coughs, colds, indigestion, kidney stones, and hypertension.
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