What does Achocha taste like?
The South American achocha plant has small, cucumber-like fruits that have a fresh flavour, a cross between a minty cucumber and a green pepper. The young fruits are delicious raw – added to salads or juiced.
Can you eat Achocha seeds?
When small, no bigger than a 10p piece, they can be eaten whole. Shortly after that the seeds start to harden and you need to deseed them to eat them. I prefer to de-seed and cook the larger ones – the hard seeds aren’t tasty! They don’t take long to cook at all, just a couple of minutes if you’re frying them.
Where is Achocha grown?
Achocha grows well in mountainous or hilly, humid, subtropical regions. In the United States, achocha grows very well in the Appalachian Mountains. It is a self-sowing annual vine, which has been considered a weedy pest in certain areas of Florida. This fast growing vine can reach a height of 6-7 feet (2 m.)
What does Caigua taste like?
Raw Caigua is crunchy and has a flavor similar to cucumbers and sweet peppers. When cooked, the fruit softens, developing a flavor reminiscent of green peppers.
How do you grow an achocha fat baby?
Sow seeds in moist compost in mid-late April. Pot on and keep under cover till all threats of frost are gone. Then set them out 45cm apart at the base of something they can climb and leave them to it. If picked when they are between the size of a 5p and 10p piece you can eat achocha whole.
How do you grow Achocha?
Achocha has potential as a crop, and as an ornamental in this country. Sow seeds into pots under glass or on the windowsill in April/May and set them out when all danger of frost has passed, or grow under glass. Warmth (rather than heat) and humidity are what achochas like best.
What is Caigua in English?
Known in the Andes as caigua or caihua (possibly from Quechua kaywa); also as achocha (possibly from Quechua achuqcha). In English it is named stuffing cucumber or slipper gourd.
How do you save Achocha seeds?
They can be eaten raw while still tender, or lightly stir fried or steamed. Saving Achocha seeds is easy if you allow some fruits to mature. Scrape the dark jagged seeds from the fruit and dry on kitchen paper.