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CHOKO TIPS: for your low salicylate and amine diet

Writer: franceswalker@thefoodintofranceswalker@thefoodinto

Updated: Feb 21



Choko, another vegetable low in salicylates. Definitely underperforming as a fabulous vegetable. Watch out, you may have one growing in your garden!


JOIN THE COMMUNITY: BRAND NEW Dietitian led Facebook group: Amines, Salicylates and Glutamates: The Food Intolerance Dietitian for great information and community support.

The choko is a great addition to the list of vegetables suitable for the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (RPAH) or FAILSAFE elimination diet (low salicylates, amines, glutamates as well as many food additives). The problem is, most people have never heard of it.


This was not the case during the depression when the choko became a 'favourite' in the diet of the families and was presented in many wild and wonderful ways, sometimes even passed off as pear or apple in desserts! It was a cheap and readily available vegetable that families could count on.


Chokos seem to have fallen from public knowledge so it is time to rediscover this versatile vegetable.


If following the FAILSAFE elimination diet, nutritionally it is useful to include as much many different low salicylate veggies as possible.
Eating vegetables such as choko and swede each week can really help achieve this.

Where can you get Chokos?

Chokos are hard to source. You probably won't find them in general supermarkets. You probably won't find them in your local fruit store.

You may have more luck sourcing them in Asian Groceries


They are easy to grow and will clamber over anything! Thanks to a reader for submitting this pic of a choko vine looking very healthy in her garden....



Choko, believe it or not, is part of the pumpkin family, native to South America.


Also known as a chayote, vegetable pear or mango squash.


Pick the fruits at any time and store them for months! Although if picked a bit late can become dry and stringy.


How to use Chokos

Like zucchini (moderate salicylates), the choko comes into its own as a vegetable that absorbs the surrounding flavour rather than giving any flavour on its own. They have a very mild flavour, much like the marrow.


Just boiling up and serving choko does not give this little vegetable any justice.


Choko is a great early food for babies- especially if salicylate, amine or glutamate sensitive.


Just wear gloves when peeling as the sap can be irritating.


Ideas on Using Choko

  • Peel and slice and add to sit fries

  • Add it to soups- at the end of cooking so it keeps its shape

  • Boil then blend into a soup with added potato & season with salt or garlic

  • Boil and then blend with cooked rice for a thick soup & season with salt or garlic

  • In tacos with beef or chicken with spring onion, black beans & iceberg lettuce or cabbage

  • The fruit makes an excellent choko chutney and is an excellent addition to soups (see recipe below)

  • The flesh can also be cooked and mashed and added to mashed potato

  • Roast it, and have on its own or add to salads.

  • Add to stews

  • CHOKO CHIPS: slice and roast with rice bran oil or another salicylate or amine oil

  • Make into a cake! The infamous POKO CAKE (see below).


CHOKO RECIPES for the low salicylate, amine and glutamate diet

There are quite a few very cool choko recipes. The Sue Dengate's Failsafe cookbook has a fantastic POKO CAKE which is a cake made from chokos and pears. Well used by many on the low chemical or FAILSAFE diet.


Check out these two ways of using your next (first?) choko...


Sauteed choko

Ingredients

  • 1 medium choko

  • 30g Nuttelex Original

  • Citric acid, salt to taste

  • Optional: sprinkle of parsley


Method

  1. Peel and slice choko

  2. Heat in fry pan with Nuttelex

  3. Saute until the choko is light brown and just tender (not completely soft). This will take about 4 – 5 minutes.

  4. Sprinkle citric acid and salt to taste

  5. Optional: sprinkle with a small amount of chopped parsley

Choko Chips

See this YouTube clip that shows you how to make choko chips but to make low in food chemicals of FAILSAFE then use a low chemical oil such as rice bran oil, cut off skins (use gloves), replace cayenne pepper with salt and small amount of garlic.


Seriously yum!


Choko Chutney

See page 270 Friendly Foods (reference below, google online, check your library)


Ingredients

  • 7 chokos (1.2kg when peeled & diced)

  • 4 spring onions

  • 2 TBSP rice bran oil or acceptable oil

  • 3/4 tsp saffron threads

  • 2 tsp citric acid

  • ½ cup brown sugar

  • 1 ½ cups water


Method

  1. Peel chokos and dice (½ cm cubes)

  2. Finely chop spring onions

  3. Place oil in a large hot pan

  4. Add diced chokos and shallots into pan and stir fry for 5 minutes

  5. Add remaining ingredients and reduce heat to simmer for about 30 minutes until liquid has reduced and thickened. While chutney simmering: sterilise a pre-washed jar

  6. Pour into sterilised jars, cool and refrigerate


So give choko a whirl and and maximise your nutrition at the same time!


Choko Nutritional Information

  • FOOD CHEMICALS: low in salicylates, amines and glutamates and recommended for the RPAH natural food chemical elimination diet/ failsafe diet.

  • FODMAPs: low in FODMAPs for a normal serve


Updated 21/2/2025

 

REFERENCES

  1. Dominique Risso, Vegetable that's choko full of goodness. The Courier mail. 31/01/2012. Accessed from http://www.couriermail.com.au/lifestyle/food/choko-full-of-goodness/news-story/4d7cac592395a8a10adc98e1ef763c6f?sv=90547b4921727de530a9a5227f732616. Assessed 20/3/2018.

  2. RPAH elimination diet diagnostic handbook: volume 1. Anne Swain, Velencia Soutter, Robert Loblay, 2020 (revised edition).

  3. Monash University low FODMAP app. Version 3.0.2. Accessed 27/02/2019.

  4. Swain, A, Soutter V, Loblay R. Friendly Food. The essential guide to managing food allergies and intolerances. Murdoch Books, 2020.

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Frances Walker

Tel: 0412 586 836 (business hours)

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