BUTTERNUT SQUASH

Common Name: Butternut Squash
Vernacular Names: Butternut Pumpkin
Botanical Name: Cucurbita moschata
Specimens From: Malaysia
Specimens Weight: 1844 gms [4 lb 1 oz]

Butternut squash, a winter squash believed to originate from Central to South America. It is one of the common squash available in most countries.

It's shaped like a woody elongated pear. The fruit is green with greenish stripes when it is unripe. The skin will harden and change to beige with creamy, smooth texture once it is ripe. It can be kept for months and it will be sweeter cause it will ripen further. The hardened pulp is a rich orange. The skin and seeds are edible but most of us prefer to skip it.

Butternut squash, steamed

There are several ways of cooking this squash. Roast, bake, grill, steam, fry or soup-base. The picture is a dish of steamed butternut squash in cubes, with no sugar nor sauces added.

A healthy fruit high in Vitamin A and beta-carotene. Delicious on its own but sometimes I will add a little olive butter to enhance the flavour.


Fruit: Butternut squash; Cucurbita moschata; Cucurbitaceae.


View other fruits in the same family: Curcurbitaceae [Gourd Family]


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