Chocho Can Be Used

For a long time people looked on chocho like a food that didn't have much significance in meal preparation. Due to the high water content many figured its nutrient content was low so there is no logic adding it to meals.

However there are a variety of countries like Jamaica where lots of persons particularly those from the lower strata from the society who attempted to supplement this diet by growing the vegetables within their back yard garden.

This plant doesn't need much land to develop and can utilized trees along with a fence wall as harbors as it is really a vine. The yield could be great also it does not have a particular season.

To the poorer people with large families the chocho is really a savior; it's used for bulking and also to stretch the sometimes meager protein within the meal. It does not provide any protein but due to the blandness it is able to absorb the taste from whichever protein dish that it is added. It basically satisfies and tricks the flavour buds.

It was discovered with this same group long before science and nutrition thought it was out, that you could get some respite from hypertension if chocho was consumed.

As time passes many individuals happen to be experimenting with the merchandise medicinally and nutritionally and also have discovered a great deal. In the 1980s I too did a stint of experimenting and created two items that many believed I ought to have patented given that they had good commercial possibilities. These were the crystallized chocho and also the sparkling white wine but my interest wasn't along that line I had been just having a good time.

I have however kept the recipes making the products occasionally. If properly done the white wine can rival any white wine for clarity and alcohol content. Due to the blandness flavor might be added in the fermenting stage.

The crystallized chocho might be marketed like a form of dried fruits ideal for cakes and buns. The fruits could be coloured and flavoured to mirror whatever fruit flavor or taste is desired. The chocho is superb for making camouflage cherries for use in items that require cherries for taste and flavor; however for texture it's kind of dense. At the moment when real cherries are so expensive chocho cherry is a great alternative.

The crystallized vegetable will have a long shelf-life but a preservative can also be added. I've made these two recipes available to the general public.

Juliet Christie Murray is a Jamaican Teacher. At the moment she is a vice principal inside a Jamaican High School Author of two inspirational books and webmaster of specular-jamaica.com