Known as musk cucumber in English, its common name here is Cohombro (Sicana odorifera). This is one of the most unusual plants in the tropics. Its large, 12- to 14-inch long, maroon-colored, sausage-shaped fruit is a squash with the taste of cantaloupe. That’s right, cantaloupe!
What is cantaloupe squash?
Cantaloupe is in the same family as squashes, pumpkins, gourds and cucumbers. It grows on a vine on the ground. The difference between a cantaloupe and a squash is in the way we use them. Squashes are eaten as vegetables, while cantaloupes are thought of as a sweet fruit.
What is a melon squash?
Winter Melon Squash is not actually a squash; nor is it actually a melon, though it is related to both. In an effect to distinguish it, some English synonyms draw on the word gourd instead. It is treated as a vegetable in Asian cooking. For the most part the melons are round, though they can also be slightly oblong.
Are squash and cantaloupe in the same family?
Both melons and squash belong to the Cucurbitaceae plant family. While some may point to this similarity as proof that these two fruits are the exact same thing, it should be pointed out that Cucurbitaceae is a very large family.
What squash looks like a watermelon?
A cross between a Delicata and Spaghetti Squash, this green and beige striped, watermelon-shaped squash is a hybrid of the spaghetti squash. Like its cousins, it was named because the flesh separates into spaghetti-like strands when cooked and its skin carries the characteristics of the Delicata.
What is a substitute for cantaloupe?
Substitution Guide
Ingredient | Options |
---|---|
Cantaloupe (Rockmelon) | mango, papaya, peach, honeydew melon |
Carrots | sweet potato/yam, winter squash, pumpkin, parsnip |
Celeriac root | celery, turnip, parsley root, kohlrabi, jicama, daikon |
Celery | cucumber, zucchini, jicama |
Are gourds and melons the same?
The family of melons, squashes, and cucumbers has the Latin name Cucurbitaceae. In English this family is commonly known as the melon, or gourd, family. Most plants in this family grow for only one year, as annuals.
Is bottle gourd a melon?
Bottle gourd is also known as calabash, opo squash, and long melon. It is another vine crop grown for its fruit, which can be harvested young as a vegetable or allowed to mature, dry and be used as a utensil or musical instrument. It is a tropical/subtropical plant typically grown in China, South Asia and Africa.
How do you identify Cucurbitaceae?
The Gourd family is as easy to recognize as pumpkins and squash. Look closely at one of these flowers and you will know the family. Male and female parts are borne on separate funnel-shaped flowers. There are 5 separate sepals and 5 united petals (rarely 6 of each).
What are all the different types of squash?
SquashLower classifications
What does a Hubbard squash look like?
Hubbard squash is wrapped in a very hard, bumpy skin ranging anywhere from a dark bronze-green to pale bluish-green to a light golden or orange in color. Inside this winter variety’s seriously tough skin is a tender, golden yellow, fine grained, rather dry and mealy, dense flesh that offers a rich flavor.
Is spaghetti squash a melon?
Spaghetti Squash. The squash and pumpkin are varieties of Cucurbita pepo, while the melons & canteloupe are varieties of Cucumis melo.
What vegetables are gourds?
Gourd is occasionally used to describe crop plants in the family Cucurbitaceae, like pumpkins, cucumbers, squash, luffa, and melons. More specifically, gourd refers to the fruits of plants in the two Cucurbitaceae genera Lagenaria and Cucurbita, or also to their hollow, dried-out shell.
Can you plant squash and cantaloupe together?
Some of the best companion plants for cantaloupes include marigolds, nasturtiums, radishes, and lettuce. Avoid planting cucumbers, watermelons or squash near cantaloupes, as they are susceptible to the same pests!
What is the sweetest squash?
Buttercup Squash
The dark green rind needs to be removed, but it reveals a bright orange, creamy interior that’s considered the sweetest of squash.
What is winter squash look like?
These small, four- to-six-inch round squash are cream-colored with green mottled streaks and deep ribs similar to Acorn. Pale gold on the inside, with a dry, starchy flesh similar to a potato, these squash are renowned for their rich, honey-sweet flavor.
What is the best squash to eat?
- Delicata/Sweet Dumpling. These are the most delectable of the pepo squashes, often much sweeter than their close cousins, the green acorns.
- Kabocha.
- Butternut.
- Acorn.
- Spaghetti Squash.
- Buttercup.
- Hubbard.
What is the green version of cantaloupe?
Honeydew melon
Honeydew melon, or honeymelon, is a fruit that belongs to the melon species cucumis melo (muskmelon). The sweet flesh of honeydew is typically light green, while its skin has a white-yellow tone. Its size and shape are similar to that of its relative, the cantaloupe.
What is the yellow skinned melon called?
Canary melon
The Canary melon (Cucumis melo (Inodorus group)) or winter melon is a large, bright-yellow elongated melon with a pale green to white inner flesh. This melon has a distinctively sweet flavor that is slightly tangier than a honeydew melon. The flesh looks like that of a pear but is softer.
What is the green fruit that looks like cantaloupe?
Honeydew (melon)
Honeydew melon | |
---|---|
Species | Cucumis melo |
Cultivar group | Inodorus group |
Origin | Algeria, Southern France, Spain |
What is a gourd used for?
gourd, any of the hard-shelled fruits of certain members of the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae. Many gourds are cultivated as ornamentals, decorations, or food crops, and some can be dried and used to make decorative or useful objects.
Marilyn Medina is a food expert with over 15 years of experience in the culinary industry. She has worked in some of the most prestigious kitchens in the world, including The Ritz-Carlton and The French Laundry.
What makes Marilyn stand out from other chefs is her unique approach to cooking. She believes that food should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their budget or dietary restrictions. Her recipes are simple, delicious, and healthy – perfect for anyone who wants to cook like a pro!