TODAY I want to talk about the humble choko.
It’s a fruit that’s rarely thought of to buy, but was very popular some 70-80 years ago.
During the Second World War, it was grown in many backyards and used as a means of adding bulk to other dishes.
Because of its rather bland taste, it was blended with pears and apples in pies to make them go further, but it can be a tasty side vegetable, roasted on a barbecue with other veges like carrots, pumpkin or sweet potato.
It’s a pear-shaped vegetable, light green in colour, and can be used in stir fries, roasts and pies. It is often compared with zucchini or cucumber.
Chokos can be used in a multitude of ways – eaten raw, grated in salads, boiled, steamed or even pickled.
They are very easy to grow. If you have some spare land, let the vine roam free or train it on a trellis. They thrive in warm climates, and all you actually need is a choko that’s sprouting.
Just plant it in the ground with that small sprout just poking through the soil, then a little water now and again is all that’s required. Once again a vegetable that can be self-growing, like pineapples, but with a much shorter time to maturity.
The humble choko is technically a fruit because it grows on a vine, however it is used more as a vegetable in dishes.
Originally from Mexico it became an affordable, easy to grow staple in many households in Australia, due to its versatility.
In my younger days we sold these chokos on the side of the road for pocket money at just 2 shillings each. Now I believe they are like $2-3 each to buy from the local supermarket.
Try growing this very versatile fruit – it takes about four months, and up to 100 fruit can be picked off a single vine.
