How to eat cucumbers in Brazil. Drink guarana, chew beef

Chayote is a light green, pear-shaped fruit with one seed inside and edible, tender, aromatic pulp, with a texture reminiscent of something between a potato and a cucumber. Perhaps such a vegetable is not considered familiar to our latitudes, but it will add a particularly delicate taste to familiar dishes, while at the same time bringing benefits to the body. This unusual fruit for us is popular in Mexican cuisine and southern North America. It is eaten raw, added to salads, used as a filling for pies, baked with chili peppers and many other dishes are prepared.

If you don't know what chayote or vegetable pear or Mexican cucumber is, it's time to get acquainted with it. After all, this exotic fruit is a source of many nutrients that our body needs.

Where does chayote grow - Mexican cucumber?

Chayote (or Sechium edule) belongs, like a regular cucumber, to annual (there are also perennial species) plants from the pumpkin family. It is shaped like a pear with a thin, pale green skin and several vertical grooves. It has a crunchy texture and a mild sweet flavor. There are options with an uneven pimpled surface. Its seeds are edible.

The true homeland of the Mexican cucumber is that part of Latin America that has the same name - Mexico.

It was cultivated thousands of years ago by the Aztec and Mayan tribes. It was the Aztecs who gave the name “chayote”, which is known today, meaning “pumpkin with thorns.” This vegetable is very popular in the Caribbean and Latin America.

Although native to the tropics, chayotes are now cultivated in warm climates around the world. We grow them in the southern regions of Russia and in Transcaucasia. The climate in the south of Ukraine and Moldova is quite suitable for them. True, it still remains an unfamiliar and exotic fruit for many.
Some gardeners recommend planting seeds in pots and boxes on windowsills.

The plant is a vine that grows up to 20 meters in length and is somewhat similar to a grapevine with tendrils, due to which it clings to a support and rises up. This plant can be found growing along fences and even on trees.

Chayote requires well-drained and moist soil. The leaves are quite large, round in shape with a heart-shaped base 10-25 centimeters wide and covered with hairs.

The plant has both female and male flowers. After pollination, the fruits begin to grow and develop. In its homeland, Mexico, it blooms in September. The fruits ripen within 30 days.

At first glance, their shape is somewhat reminiscent of an avocado, but lighter. Each fruit can weigh from 500 to 600 grams, pear-shaped, covered with a green or yellow peel (it all depends on the variety, it can be brown of different shades, dark green with hairs). Fruits grow no more than 20 cm, and their yield varies from 80 pieces in an annual crop to 150 pieces from one perennial plant.

Depending on the variety, the skin of the fruit can be smooth, furrowed or with pimples.

Its pulp resembles the taste of a cucumber; to some people it seems like the pulp of a young zucchini.

What does chayote look like?

Watch the video to see how chayote grows

What are the benefits of chayote chemical composition?

Chayote isn't as popular as other vegetables, but it actually has a very good track record of healthy constituents that can provide health benefits. First, chayote is free of cholesterol and unhealthy fats and is generally recommended for combating low cholesterol and weight loss. It is high in water and fiber and relatively low in sugars, making it relatively low in calories compared to other fruits and vegetables. They are also valued for their high content of potassium and amino acids.

Despite the predominant watery component (chayote contains actually 93% water), this vegetable has:

• vegetable proteins;
• fats;
• saturated fatty acids;
• carbohydrates (mainly sugars);
• fiber (dietary fiber);
• ash product;
• starch (only in tubers);
• 17 essential amino acids (in particular threonine, arginine and leucine);
• retinol (vitamin A);
• B vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin or nicotinic acid, pyridoxine, pantothenic and folic acids);
• phylloquinone (or vitamin K);
• antioxidant vitamin C (ascorbic acid);
• minerals such as potassium, magnesium, sodium, calcium, iron, phosphorus, copper, manganese, zinc, selenium.

The total calorie content of 100 grams of this vegetable is only 16 kilocalories. The energy percentage of proteins, fats and carbohydrates is 17/6/59%.

The entire plant, including the fruit, stem and leaves, contains several nutrients and has anti-inflammatory properties that can help treat high blood pressure, kidney stones and indigestion. Chayote can also help maintain weight as it is low in calories and high in fiber.

A diet high in fiber helps treat constipation and normalize bowel function. This vegetable is a good way to increase your fiber intake. One fruit contains 3.5 grams of fiber, which is 14 percent of the daily value of 25 grams. Dietary fiber also helps control blood sugar, which is especially beneficial for diabetics, and lowers cholesterol, which promotes a healthier cardiovascular system.

Whole chayote has on average only 0.1 grams of fat. High water and fiber content help satisfy hunger faster and prolong the feeling of fullness. It can be added to salads and smoothies.

Chayote is a rich source of folate and vitamin C. Folates are water-soluble vitamins that are essential for female fertility and cancer prevention. When consumed before and during pregnancy, it reduces the risk of neural tube birth defects in the fetus. A whole chayote can provide 189 micrograms of folate in your diet, which is about 50 percent of the recommended daily intake.

Vitamin C is an important antioxidant that helps fight free radicals, which can lead to an increased risk of heart disease and some forms of cancer. It contains 15.6 mcg of vitamin C, which is 26% of the daily requirement.

Trace minerals are required daily in small quantities to support a healthy metabolism, immune system, and strong bones. Chayote contains trace mineral salts of zinc, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus and potassium. These minerals are part of the body's hormones and enzymes.

Zinc plays an important role in wound healing and supports the sense of taste and smell. Calcium and magnesium keep bones strong, and potassium supports nerve and muscle function.

The Mexican cucumber chayote has proven itself on the positive side not only in folk but also in official medicine.

Chayote benefits for the body

Chayote is not only a food product. Its use can bring certain health benefits and help cope with some ailments. Herbal tea prepared with chayote leaves helps reduce high blood pressure and relieve swelling. Local peoples use it to dissolve and remove kidney stones, treat atherosclerosis and blood vessels.

The pulp of the fruit has diuretic properties and is used to treat bloating.

Speaking of health benefits, the vegetable helps:

• during diets to reduce excess weight;
• strengthen general immunity;
• increase the body's energy balance;
• remove kidney stones;
• improve the general condition of urolithiasis (has a diuretic effect);
• reduce blood pressure in hypertension;
• get rid of swelling;
• prevent or effectively treat atherosclerosis (often tubers are used);
• improve the functioning of the thyroid gland;
• get rid of hemorrhoids;
• prevent constipation;
• improve the functioning of the pancreas during pancreatitis;
• heal gastrointestinal ulcers;
• in the treatment of mastopathy;
• prevent breast cancer (as well as other cancers).

As a rich source of vitamin C, it is used for colds, has good diaphoretic properties, and as a source of many useful substances, it is used to restore the body after chemotherapy and radiation therapy in cancer patients.

Chayote use in cooking

In this case, the Mexican chayote cucumber is a fairly versatile food item. It can be eaten like zucchini, cucumbers or melon.

Possessing a delicate sweetish taste, similar to zucchini, it becomes not only an ingredient in vegetable and fruit salads. Add it to meat dishes.

Dried leaves of the plant can be used to make teas.

Ripe fruits are usually not suitable for food, but are used for seeds. As a result, unripe chayote:

• added to vegetable oil for flavoring;
• fried (the taste will resemble fried mushrooms, and if you use only tubers - fried potatoes);
• boiled;
• baked;
• stuffed;
• stewed;
• salted;
• pickled;
• added to stews, sautés and purees containing tomatoes, zucchini, and eggplants;
• used to create canned white onion salads;
• added to baked goods (the puree is mixed either with the dough, or the filling is made from it; a good combination is obtained with cinnamon).

Stewed young stems and leaves are added to sauces with a variety of spices, soups, and are also used as a side dish for meat and fish dishes (the product must first be boiled).

In general, the taste of the Mexican cucumber goes well with almost any product.

Chayote goes well with cheese, chili pepper, bread crumbs, bacon, onions, including green onions, and shrimp.

Due to its dense flesh, it requires longer cooking: 30 to 40 minutes.

When used in stuffing or baking, the peel does not need to be removed. You just need to cut the fruit and blanch until it becomes soft. After which the pulp can be removed with a spoon.

Don't throw away the pit, which has a nutty almond flavor.

When using chayote for stir-fries or salads, remove the tough skin using a knife or peeler.

Some varieties have a sticky substance under the skin that irritates some people. If you are one of them, simply clean the fruit under running cold water.

How to select and store chayote

When purchasing chayotes, choose fruits that are firm to the touch and have bright colors. Wrinkles and grooves in the skin are normal, but they should not be soft or spongy. Basic requirements for selection when purchasing:

Hard to the touch;

No scratches;

Small dents are acceptable.

The ideal place to store chayote is the refrigerator, in which the product can be stored for up to three weeks (the main thing is to pack the fruits in paper bags).

Contraindications and harm

Scientists have not yet discovered any main contraindications to the consumption of exotic chayote. Thus, the main caution when consuming Mexican cucumber is exclusively individual intolerance to the product.

Interesting facts about the Mexican cucumber

In Australia, there is an opinion that the well-known McDonald's uses chayote instead of apples in its apple pies. This opinion led to a trial where the famous chain had to prove that their pies contained real apples.

The source of this opinion was the rumor that canned pears are actually chayotes. Perhaps such rumors are based on the fact that in Australia there are many recipes where this vegetable also acts as a fruit.

In Creole cuisine, chayote dishes are traditionally prepared for Thanksgiving.

There is a legend that this fruit caused the mummification of residents in the city of San Bernardo in Colombia who abused it. This may be due to the supposed cell-regenerative properties of this vegetable.

Here’s an interesting yet exotic vegetable for us: chayote or Mexican cucumber. By the way, it is grown in Abkhazia, where many of our compatriots like to relax. It also grows in Sochi. So, if you wish, you can try these unusual fruits.

How to grow chayote on your own plot

The main sporting event of the year, the Summer Olympic Games, kicks off this weekend. The eyes of the whole world are now focused on Rio de Janeiro, which will become home to athletes and their fans from all over the world for more than two weeks. Let's see what the guests and participants of the Olympics will eat, what Brazilian cuisine will surprise them.

Owner of the Cafezinho do Brasil restaurant Aron Lobo told AiF.ru about the features of his national dishes:

People of different nationalities live in our country: Indians, Portuguese, Africans, natives from the east. Brazilian culture was formed precisely thanks to this crazy mix. And Brazilian cuisine too. We take traditional dishes from other countries and prepare them to our own taste, the way we like it. For example, lasagna is very popular here, but we overcook the dough for it. Brazil is also experimenting with pizza, and there is one you won't find anywhere else: with white chocolate and passion fruit. American cuisine is widespread: during carnival and other holidays, people eat on the streets, take sandwiches, burgers and hot dogs in shopping trailers.

Photo: Cafezinho do Brasil

Recipe Pure Brazilian cuisine is a mixture of African, European and Indian gastronomic traditions. In its own way, this is a poor cuisine, it originates from the food of slaves, who cooked for themselves from the leftovers from the tables of their owners. For example, the most famous Brazilian dish is feijoada. It is prepared from black beans and various meats: pig ears, legs, tail, nose. This makes an inexpensive dish that everyone can make their own with any leftover meat. There are many recipes for this dish, for example, in my family they added not black beans, but brown ones (they are known to Russians as red beans).

I notice many parallels between Russian and Brazilian food. We often use the same products, but we just prepare them differently. My favorite Russian dish is Olivier salad. Brazilian cuisine also has potato salad, but we cut the ingredients larger than Russians. Brazilians also love a combination of salty and sweet, for example marmalade with cheese, meat with pineapple, rice with banana. In this, our cultures are also similar, I know that in Russia they like to bake duck with apples, cook boiled pork with cranberries or lingonberries.

Photo: Cafezinho do Brasil

Meat

Brazilians are big meat lovers, and there isn't a Sunday without the smell of grilled meat filling the city. And this is definitely marbled and very tasty meat. The most popular dish is Shurasko - several types of meat are cooked together over the fire on skewers. Beef, lamb, rack of lamb, rump, ribeye steak, chicken wings, and pork tenderloin are used here. This dish also includes offal, such as chicken hearts. Not everyone likes them, but using Brazilian technology they turn out very tasty.

Photo: Cafezinho do Brasil

The dish is always prepared using the same technology on a traditional installation with coals. The meat comes out well-done on the outside, with blood on the inside to make it juicier. Balsamic vinegar is added to it, and the only spices are salt. The meat is so tasty that there is no desire to use seasonings or sauces. In restaurants, it is served with various side dishes, as well as vegetable salad and cheese buns. To digest this amount of fatty meat, Brazilians finish by eating pineapple, grilled with cinnamon and sugar.

Photo: Cafezinho do Brasil

Everyday dishes

Recipe If meat is mainly eaten on weekends, then on weekdays Brazilians always have dishes made from rice and beans on their tables. These products are as popular here as bread and potatoes are in Russia. There are also purely Brazilian plants, for example the cassava root vegetable, which is deep-fried. Another popular dish is cochinha - chicken breast pies in potato dough. Mostly Brazilians cook with olive oil. It is very expensive here, either Portuguese or Spanish.

Despite all of the above, we are lovers of diet food. In general, Brazilian cuisine fits into a healthy lifestyle. Many people replace meat with soy, add spices, and the result is tasty and balanced. The Brazilian diet contains many gluten-free foods (a complex protein found in grains). Cheese buns are made from tapioca starch with different fillings: bacon, onions, chili, whatever.

Photo: Cafezinho do Brasil

Breakfast

For breakfast, Brazilians primarily prefer coffee. Drink it with cheese buns or hot bread with butter, ham and cheese. A popular dish is corn porridge, with banana, cinnamon and other sweet ingredients added to it.

Photo: Cafezinho do Brasil

Vegetables and fruits

The Brazilian diet includes many plant foods: peas, tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers. A large number of dishes are prepared from corn: porridge is cooked from cereals, canned corn is used for salad, and cakes and muffins are baked from ground corn into flour. We eat fruit all year round. Mango, guava, lime, coconut, passion fruit, and pineapple produce several harvests a year. In the south of the country, haciendas with vineyards are common. Berries are also used for cooking, but there are few of them in Brazil, mostly imported from Argentina and Uruguay.

Photo: Cafezinho do Brasil

Desserts

Almost all desserts in Brazilian cuisine use condensed milk. For example, together with chocolate, it forms the basis of the composition of brigadeiro sweets. In Brazil they like to prepare puddings and light mousses with fruits, passion fruit, and coconut. Fruit salads are very popular. An interesting dessert is sorbet with banana and acai berry. It grows in the Amazon; in Russia it is not easy to find, as it is sold frozen.

Photo: Cafezinho do Brasil

Drinks

The main Brazilian drink is coffee. On average, a Brazilian drinks three cups a day: in the morning with milk, then a couple of times throughout the day. We use balanced varieties of Arabica, such as the Latin American variety House Blend or Peaberry, which have an interesting round bean shape. For hot drinks, we also prepare herbal teas from jungle plants. They are good for health, a particular collection produces the desired therapeutic effect, for example, it solves a liver problem or relieves insomnia.

The favorite cooling drink of Brazilians is guarana berry lemonade. Russian tourists also really like it; they complain that they don’t make something like this in their homeland. In Brazil, this drink is sold in larger quantities than Coca-Cola. And in Russia you can only find guarana powder, which is used as a spice for food.

Photo: Cafezinho do Brasil

Among alcoholic drinks, the most famous Brazilian cocktail is the Caipirinha with the addition of lime. Cachaça, a vodka made from sugar cane, is also popular. Many cocktails include rum, but Brazilians almost never drink it in its pure form. Our country loves beer very much. The local wine is not very strong and can only be drunk very cold. In Brazil there is also beer brewed according to European recipes. Colonies of Germans who came to Brazil after World War II organized beer production using their own technology.

Photo: Cafezinho do Brasil

Spices and sauces

Brazilian cuisine is not very spicy. For example, I love jellied meat, but mustard is too hot for me. Garlic is the soul of all dishes; onions are present almost everywhere. We use only natural seasonings: bay leaf for beans, sea salt for pork, pepper for chicken, and thyme for lamb. Some recipes call for soaking meat in balsamic vinegar. Fans of spicy dishes add Tabasco or chili sauce to their food. The most used sauce in Brazil is tomato and pineapple. We often add light mayonnaise with garlic and parsley to our food.

Brazil truly has it all. Big cities like Rio are famous for their unique culture, uniqueness and nightlife. And thousands of kilometers of coastline, superb countryside landscapes and hearty cuisine will delight you! We have selected 10 must-try dishes in Brazil.

Don't leave Brazil without trying...

Barbecue meat

Both consider themselves barbecue masters in South America. Although everyone has their own approach to preparation - from cutting to garnishing, there is still something in common. Large cuts of meat are best cooked at low temperatures.

In Brazil, the best fillet of beef (the popular Brazilian Picanha or Ramp Cap steak) is symbolically sprinkled with coarse salt before the meat is cooked to perfection over smoldering coals (or you can use wood if you're cooking the old fashioned way, like this accepted in the south).

In a home barbecue, sausages, curd cheese (queijo coalho - fried cheese on sticks) and chicken hearts are fried on the grill, while steaks (churrascarias - barbecue in the style of a Steakhouse restaurant in London) and all types of meat on skewers: from pork, to lamb and wild boar, the waiters will cut and serve before your eyes.

Moqueca (pronounced moo-kek-ah)

Moqueca is more than just a fish stew. It is ceremonially served to the table in an open clay pot so that you can feel its exquisite aroma.

The Bahia (inhabitants of the state of Bahia in the northeast) and the inhabitants of Espirito Santo claim the original origin of this dish and present their own equally delicious versions.

In its simplest form, fish and/or seafood are stewed in a sauce made from diced tomatoes, onions and coriander. Residents of Espirito Santo add natural food coloring annatto (fudge tree seeds), while Baian cuisine offers a more complex version with dende (palm oil), pepper and coconut milk.

It's topped with some rice, farofa (a fried dish made from cassava flour that absorbs the juices) and pirao (a spicy fish porridge with cassava - tastes much better!).

Cachaca

Cachaca began to be made from fermented sugar cane juice back in the 1500s. This “fire water” is also added to the Caipirinha, the Brazilian national cocktail. Usually, colorless, unaged cane juice is added to these cocktails. Although there are about a thousand high-quality golden varieties of cachaça, aged in wooden barrels, which are sipped by fans of this drink.

To help you get rid of a hangover in the morning: Guarana (sweet carbonated energy drink), Agua de Coco (coconut water, which is best drunk straight from the coconut) and Caldo de Cana (freshly squeezed sugar cane juice).

Brigadeiros

Brazilian sweets are not inferior to chocolate truffles. They are so easy to prepare, and the children themselves will be happy to keep you company. To make the sweet balls, boiling condensed milk is mixed with cocoa powder, then beaten in butter and rolled into chocolate balls. Instant sugar ensures that even gourmets will not get tired of this dish. However, you won’t hear anything against it from Brazilians.

Choux buns with cheese (Pao de queijo)

In Brazil, cheese and bread, two favorite foods around the world, were combined into the ultimate dish Pao de queijo (cheese buns). This is a finger licking appetizer! You can have breakfast or a snack at any time of the day. Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and gluten-free, the buns are made with tapioca flour, eggs and grated Minas cheese (a cow's milk cheese from the state of Minas Geras) and then rolled into small balls.

These balls come in a variety of sizes, from small Pau di Queijo to cake-sized buns, and are filled with anything from cheese or cream cheese to a variety of meat fillings.

Acaraje (pronounced A-ka-rah-zhe)

This is one of the highest calorie street snacks I have had the pleasure of trying. Akaraj is a deep-fried patty made from crushed cow peas, palm oil and grated onions, fried in oil, then cut and stuffed with dried shrimp and Vatapa is a delicious spicy puree of dry shrimp, cashew peanuts and other ingredients.

Acarajé was invented in the state of Bahia, in northeastern Brazil, because the aromas of African cuisine are clearly discernible. This is an excellent dish, served piping hot in a cup with butter and a little chilli sauce.

Quindim

Another delicacy from Bahia is the brilliant yellowish and sweet quindim. It is made simply from eggs, sugar and coconut (often butter is added). The resulting baked cake has a thick golden crust with coconut flakes, the top is spread with cream, which then sticks pleasantly in the mouth.

Quindim is a product of different cultures, the word is said to come from "kintiti" which means "delicacy" in the Kikongo language (spoken in Congo and Angola). The Portuguese love for egg yolks in sweets and baked goods inspired them to create the quindim recipe.

Acai (pronounced A-sa-ee)/ Acai

Of the thousands of fruits in the Amazon, Acai is the most famous berry due to its health benefits. Traditionally, local tribes consumed it for energy. Also, dark blue berries are often used in Brazilian cuisine to make sauce for fish.

In the 1980s, a well-thought-out marketing campaign brought it into the limelight by promoting the berry as a great energy snack for glamorous surfers. Served as a sweet frozen dessert, sometimes garnished with pieces of muesli and banana or in concentrated juices.

You will find this delicacy in every cafe, bakery, herbal bar and supermarket throughout the country. You can even buy vodka or acai beer.

Feijoada

One of the few dishes that is eaten throughout Brazil. Feijoada is a hearty stew of black beans, sausages and pieces of pork of varying quality, traditionally made from pork feet and meat trimmings. This dish is made with love, the old fashioned way - almost 24 hours, soaking the beans and preserving the meat.

Most Brazilians go to restaurants only to try feijoada, and only on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Rice, cabbage, orange slices, farofa (toast made from cassava flour), and popcorn are served along with cachaca drink to improve digestion.

Fried bar snacks

Brazil's favorite beer is served so cold that pieces of ice stick to the bottle. Beer offers a wide range of fried foods, be it creamy pasteis - crispy pastries filled with cheese or minced beef or hearts of palm; crispy cassava bars, bolinhos (“little balls”) cookies, often made from salted cod.

You might like the coxinha (very fluffy) pies with shredded chicken and mashed potatoes, flattened and topped with golden croutons.

After eating freshly made village cheese and drinking fresh guava juice in a rocking chair on the veranda overlooking the endless fields of the Cerrado with cows grazing everywhere, we’ll talk a little about the daily life of a small village in the Central-Western regions of Brazil. The first topic is local cooking and the gastronomic habits of farmers in Brazilian haciendas. The cuisine here is symmetrically opposite to Russian. Breakfast at a local hacienda is traditional Brazilian cheese buns with freshly milked milk; lunch is rice, beans and some kind of meat (capivara, collared peccary, chicken, pork or beef); dinner - also rice, beans and some kind of meat. In general, rice and beans form the basis of any dish in Brazil, both for lunch and dinner. There is no concept of “first course” in Brazil: soups are not eaten here at all. Some farmers have no idea what pickles are. Sometimes, in addition to rice and beans, boiled cassava is used as a side dish (it is softer and slightly sweeter than potatoes). It is interesting that potatoes and cucumbers grow here, but they are not in demand: potatoes are practically not eaten, and the salad is made not from cucumbers and tomatoes, but from okra and pumpkin. Farofa, which is fried cassava flour, is often sprinkled on the meat. By the way, the most delicious farofa I have eaten in my entire life in Brazil is produced in a local factory: they add a combination of seasonings according to a family recipe so that it turns out very tasty.

As for fruits and berries, things grow here that don’t grow in Russia, and vice versa. Instead of apples, apricots, cherries, strawberries and raspberries, in the Brazilian hacienda in the Cerrada they drink coconut milk, eat guava, acerola, papaya, pineapples, oranges and bananas. The most common fruits here are guyava and acerola.

In conclusion, I’ll tell you how we celebrated Christmas yesterday. Christmas in Brazil is a family holiday: everyone celebrates it with their family and gives each other gifts. The New Year is usually celebrated not with family, but with friends, and, in addition, no gifts are given for the New Year. I won’t say that in Brazil Christmas is celebrated more than New Year: they are just celebrated differently. On Christmas night, everyone sits at home having a family dinner, and on New Year's Eve everyone goes out into the streets: here in the village to the Central Square, and in Rio de Janeiro to watch the fireworks show in Copacabana.

On the 25th, the day before yesterday, we had a festive shurrasku on the occasion of Christmas. In Brazil, gifts at Christmas are given as part of the “secret friend” game. On Christmas Eve, everyone pulls out someone's name written on a piece of paper and has to buy them a gift (no one knows who pulled out whose name). During the festive shurrasku, everyone gives these gifts to each other, but before that, those present must guess from the description what kind of person he is.

Tomorrow we are going to the state of Mato Grosso, news will be on the portal soon.

As they say in Brazil,

HAPPY CHRISTMAS AND A PROSPERITY NEW YEAR!

In the vastness of Central Brazil