Japan's pumpkin

I recently encountered an odd looking squash called the Kabocha. It looks like a flattened acorn squash or a green pumpkin. Known as the "Japanese pumpkin", the word kabocha may refer to the squash or a western style pumpkin. Originally discovered in American, the squash was taken back to Europe by Christopher Columbus and then made its way to Japan where the word stuck.

It's like many squashes, hard and orange colored on the inside with seeds you need to scoop out. It grows all year round but end of summer, early fall is when they are at their pinnacle taste. But to get that great taste there is something you need to know... that is.... that "...when kabocha is just harvested, it is STILL GORWING! So, unlike other vegetables and fruits, freshness isn't as important. It should be fully matured first, in order to become flavorful. First, kabocha is ripened in a warm place (77°F for 13 days, during which some of the starch converts to carbohydrate content). Then it's transferred to a cool place (50°F and stored for about a month in order to increase its carbohydrate content). In this way the just-harvested, dry, bland-tasting kabocha is transformed into smooth, sweet kabocha. Fully ripened, succulent kabocha will have reddish-yellow flesh and a hard skin with a dry, corky stem. It is heavier than it looks. It reaches the peak of ripeness about 1.5~3 months after it's harvested." (Information of ripening from Wikipedia)

Containing beta-carotene, iron, calcium, and vitamin C, the squash is a great nutritional ingredient. I love to make soups or just simply roast them in the oven with molasses, brown sugar, or just honey. Yummmmmmm.