English Name: JAPANESE PUMPKIN
Asian Name: kabocha, nam kwa, nan gua
Latin Name: Cucurbita moschata
Description:
- Japanese Pumpkin has glossy, dark green skin and orange flesh.
- The fruit are small and very uniform.
- It is an annual and grows to a spread of 3 metres wide.
- They are vigorous, trailing plants.
- The flesh of the fruit is dry and sweet, with a nutty flavour.
- The pumpkins keep well after picking.
Harvesting:
- Harvest the fruit when the vine begins to die back in autumn.
Best Results:
- Pumpkins are very heavy feeders, so add lots of manure and compost before planting.
- They need a long, hot growing season of at least 3 months.
- They will not tolerate frosts.
Uses:
- Cook the pumpkins by baking, steaming or boiling.
- Can be stir-fried with other vegetables or added to soups.
- Always peel before using.
- The Japanese deep-fry the pumpkin in tempura batter.
- ‘Pengat’, a sweet Malaysian dish, is made using the pumpkin and sweet potato or banana, cooked in coconut milk.
- Pumpkins can also be mashed.