A friend from Bangladesh highly recommends me growing the indian long squash. Anyone growing these? I’m guessing they are gourd seeds he has that he wants to give me. Most likely i think they are NAM Tao Ngam. Are these similar to calabash? I’m a little confused on these based on the pictures Calabash - Wikipedia . Cucuzzi i always considered different Cucuzzi italian gourd - Search results - Wikipedia .Many articles on edible gourds leave me dissapointed eg.
What i’m looking for is not hard winter squash or soft summer squash or pumpkins even if they technically may be considered gourds, i want to discuss and understand edible gourds. Many like cucuzzi we have eaten for many years. If i was to start making a real list of edible gourds it would be a first i think. The problem is many gourds are called by different names
According to this website Nam Tao Yao Bottle Gourd (Opo Squash) | Seed Mail – Seed Mail Seed Co.
Nam Tao Yao Edible Gourd (Opo)
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Days to Maturity: 70 days
Description: Nam Tao Yao Bottle Gourd, also known as Lauki or Opo squash, is an edible, heat loving, disease tolerant gourd that is a great substitute for zucchini, especially if you have a hard time growing it like I do. This variety grows on a vigorous vine and yields lots of delicious fruit. Each fruit grows about 12-14 inches long, and weighs around 2.5 lbs. The Nam Tao Yao is light green, with smooth skin and white flesh that’s slightly sweet in flavor. It’s great to add to omelets, soups, and stir-fries. Naturally, my favorite way to eat them though is curried, or in a coconut based soup. It boasts cute white flowers, that open during the early evening, as the sun starts to set. Opo squash does very well in Southern Florida’s long hot summers, and you’ve probably seen me growing this on my Instagram. However, it does not tolerate too much cold weather, so make sure you do not to start them too late in the summer. It’s mature fruits can also be harvested and dried to be used as bottles or pipes!
Tip: I always make sure to hand pollinate my female opo squash flowers when they open in the evening to ensure that I get lots of fruit, because I have lots of curry to make lol. It makes a delicious vegetarian curry by itself, or you can add it into your meat curries for added nutrients, or to bulk it up. Also make sure to pick this fruit when it’s immature for the best flavor. Once the seeds really start to develop, they don’t leave you with a lot of edible flesh, and the flesh isn’t as sweet and tender."
According to Nam Tao Yao Edible Gourd (Opo) – Nichols Garden Nursery
" * Lagenaria siceraria Open Pollinated 65-70 days Heirloom
- Also known as Lauki or Opo squash.
- A heating loving, disease tolerant gourd does not tolerate cooler temperatures.
- Light green fruits with white flesh grow 12-14" long , weighs 2.5 lb.
- Mature fruit can be dried as a bottle gourd. Long vines suitable for a trellis"
According to Gourd Seeds, Nam Tao Yao | Non-GMO, Heirloom - Asian Vegetable Garden
" Gourd Seeds - Nam Tao Yao. Heirloom, Non-GMO. Lagenaria siceraria. 65-70 days. Warm season annual. Also known as White-flowered gourd and Upo or Opo, this edible variety is vigorous, disease-tolerant, and high yielding. Fruit has light green skin, sweet, grows 12-14 inches and weighs approximately 2.5 pounds. Pick when fruit is immature. ~ 140 seeds / oz.
GOURD SEEDS - NAM TAO YAO
Requires a long, warm growing season. Prepare fertile, well drained soil. Sow seeds in spring/early summer after last frost in a warm, sunny location. Hill planting: Form soil into a 1-ft. diameter mound 3-4’ tall. Space mounds 4-6’ apart. On each mound plant 1-2 seeds. Row planting: See spacing info in chart. Keep soil moist. Fertilize as needed. Train to climb a vertical support for better air circulation, straighter fruit and ease of harvest. Bottle gourd flowers during early evening to sunrise. May need hand pollination. Harvest fruit when young and tender. Bottle gourd is popular in Asian cuisine. Saute young tender gourds with shrimp, or add to soups and stir-fries.
Seeds Per Package
- 3 g packet - Approximately 10 Seeds
- 1 oz - Approximately 140 Seeds
- 4 oz - Approximately 560 Seeds
- 1 lb - Approximately 2,240 Seeds
- 5 lb - Approximately 11,200 Seeds"
According to Nam Tao Yao Bottle Gourd, Opo, Calabash Seeds Heirloom Non-GMO (25+ Se – Hello May Garden
(Note the seed appearance typical of gourds)
"Opo squash has a lengthy, cylindrical-shape and is typically harvested when ten to fifteen inches in length. This edible variety is vigorous, disease-tolerant, and high yielding. Fruit has light green skin, sweet, grows 12-14 inches and weighs approximately 2.5 pounds. Pick when fruit is immature.
Opo squash is popularly hollowed out slightly, stuffed then steamed or baked. Its flavor and texture pair well with eggplant, cabbage, bitter greens, onion, spicy peppers, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, coconut milk, pork, seafood and sausage.
Start Indoor 4-6 weeks before last frost
Germination: 8-14 days
Exposure: Full Sun
Germination Rate: 85%
Sow Depth: 1/2" deep
Grow: Spring
Harvest: 65-70 days"
Another source on ebay says this
" Common Name: Calabash, Hu la gua, edible bottle gourd, hyotan, calabash gourd, dudi, white-flowered gourd, moo gua, hu gua, hairy gourd, bottle gourd, hard-shelled gourd, hu lu gua, po gwa, poo gwa, oo lo kwa, snake gourd, upo, opo, or wu lo kwa.
• Botanical Name: Lagenaria siceraria ‘Nam Tao Yao’
• Gourd Flavor: Mildly sweet
• Type: Vining
• Soil Preference: Well-drained loose soil rich in nutrients
• Light Preference: Full Sun
• Temperature Preference: 50-90°F
• Days to Germination: 7-12 Days
• Days to Maturity: 50 - 70 Days
• Sow Method: Direct Sow & Transplant
• Planting Time: Spring, Early Summer
• Seed Depth: 1/2"
• Plant Spacing: Approx. 36-38" apart in row
• Fruit Size at Maturity: Up to 5 Pounds
This plant is amazing, edibility includes: Seeds, Leaves, Flowers, and young stems are all edible.
Sow seeds after the last frost in a sunny area. Seed germination temperature preference between 76-85°F.
For tasty gourds, harvest before the skin is hardened when the gourd is about 12-14 inches long about 4 inches in diameter. The younger a gourd, the more tender it will be. When fully matured, it develops a shell for use as a cup and container."
"(Lagenaria Siceraria) Chinese Pugua Nam Tao Yao Lauki Opo Vegetalbe USA
known as White-flowered gourd and “Bottle Gourd,” “Long Calabash Melon,” or “Lauki / Loki,” “Dhudhi,” “Kaddu,” or “Opo” Squash, Chinese Pugua. This edible variety is vigorous, disease-tolerant, and high yielding. Fruit has light green skin, sweet, tender and smooth. Used in sautes, stews and stir-fries. Delicious when sauteed with shrimp or meat. Fruit grows 12-14 inches and weighs approximately 2.5 pounds.
Sow
Bottle gourd is an annual growing vegetable, but the plant is not tolerant to low temperature. The seeds start to sprout in 59 degrees F, fastest in 86-95 degrees F. The suitable growing temperature is 68-77 degrees F.
Outdoor:Soak the seeds in water overnight to give them a leg-up on germination. Plant the seeds in situ (in their permanent spot) as soon as the last frost date has passed in your area. Plant 5 seeds per composted hill about 5-in apart. When seedlings begin to take off, you’ll want to thin them to one seedling per hill ideally.
Indoors: You can start the seeds indoors by a few weeks (soak them first) before the last frost date, but plant them in peat pots so you can plant them directly into their permanent beds without disturbing their sensitive roots. Then go ahead and plant them outdoors after the last frost date.
Grow
The bottle gourds can be grown on the small “hills” that is the traditional way of growing squash or gourds. However, because they are a long-season crop, they end up sitting on the ground for long periods and could become rotten on the side touching the ground. One way to avoid this problem is to use 3 inches or so of mulch around the vines and under the fruit, however, it’s just as easy to grow them up trellis’s, fences or cages instead.
Harvest
The gourd grows rapidly and should be harvested in time. The Fruit is light green when young,the gourds harvested at this time are of the best quality and tender.Generally, the gourd can be harvested 15-20 days after flower dropping in early Spring, and 10-14 days only in Autumn."
Upon further research i find this website LONG SQUASH CURRY (SORAKAAYA) | Vahrehvah article
“The Indian name for long squash Is lauki.”
“Long Squash is a popular and versatile vegetable which is also known in different names in India. It is generally called as lauki, ghiya or dudhi in Hindi and Gujarati, Churakka in Malayalam, Sorakaya in Telugu, Sorakkay in Tamil and Dudhi Bhopala in Marathi.”
" LONG SQUASH CURRY (SORAKAAYA)
Long Squash Curry is popularly cooked South India dish made with Bottle gourd cooked in tomato gravy adding Indian aromatic spices, dry coconut and peanuts. It is a simple and quick dish to prepare, taste excellently delicious with chapattis and jowari ki roti.
Long Squash is a popular and versatile vegetable which is also known in different names in India. It is generally called as lauki, ghiya or dudhi in Hindi and Gujarati, Churakka in Malayalam, Sorakaya in Telugu, Sorakkay in Tamil and Dudhi Bhopala in Marathi.
Long Squash is used for preparing savory as well sweet dishes. Lauki or Kaddu kheer and Doodhi Halwa are very popular desserts prepared in Indian subcontinent. Lauki is also used in making other variety of dishes like Lauki with Mung Dal, Lazeez Lauki, Sorakaya pulusu with groundnut and bottle gourd curry with sesame seeds etc. In some parts of India, the dried bottle gourd is used as a float (called surai-kuduvai in Tamil) to learn swimming in rural areas.
Indian instruments, such as the tanpura, sitar and rudra veena, are constructed from dried calabash gourds, using special cultivars that were originally imported from Africa and Madagascar. They are mostly grown in Bengal and near Miraj, Maharashtra.
These **gourds **are valuable items and they are carefully tended, sometimes they are given injections to stop worms and insects from making holes while they are drying etc. The long squash is frequently used in southern Chinese cuisine either in stir-fries or a soup. In Central America, the seeds of the long squash gourd are toasted and ground with other ingredients (including rice, cinnamon, and allspice) to make the drink horchata. Calabash is known locally as morro or jícaro.
Lauki, dudhi or bottle gourd holds pride of place in the Indian Ayurvedic medical system. Lauki is 96.1% water, so is light on the stomach and aids digestion. A 100 gm serving of lauki contains just twelve calories and is ideal if you are watching your weight.
Bottle Gourd, or say Long Squash is a wonderful vegetable which can be turned out into several tasty dishes. It’s a very good source of dietary fiber and also a good source of Vitamin C and B6. Remember, while cooking Bottle gourd, if you are boiling the pieces separately for the curry, do it without salt so as to keep the vegetable low in sodium levels. This way, the nutrition values of the vegetable are restored highly.
This recipe of Long Squash curry is mixed with some dry coconut and groundnut masala. For sure it is a yummy, delicious, simple and fast recipe. But the taste is just double kick to the palate. Here is the recipe for a low fat and one of the fabulous Andhra dishes. If you are someone who thinks Bottle gourd is a boring vegetable with no special taste or recipe for it, then here is the recipe that might change your mind after all.
It’s delicious, spicy and most importantly cooks quickly and easy to prepare. To prepare this scrumptious and mouth watering Long Squash curry, firstly remove the peel of the long squash and cut into small pieces. Finely chop onions and tomatoes and keep aside. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard and cumin seeds. When they crackle add channa dal and fry till it gets light brown and add curry leaves. Add chopped onions and fry till they turn light brown and then add the long squash pieces.
Let it cook for 15 minutes. Meanwhile roast peanuts and grind peanuts, coconut, coriander powder and garlic together in a blender to a smooth powder and keep aside. After 15 minutes, check if the long squash is cooked and then add chopped tomatoes, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt to taste. Mix well. When they are cooked, add water (as you like, if you want too much gravy then add more water) and add the ground powder into it. Let this cook till oil starts floating on the top.
Switch off the flame and add chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with rice, roti etc. Bottle gourd is considered to be one of the healthiest of vegetables. Cooked lauki is cooling, calming and acts as diuretic. It makes you relax after eating. It plays a very important role in treating urinary disorders. If you are on a low calorie diet, suffering from digestive problems, are diabetic or convalescing, then lauki is must for you as it is easily digestible and low in calories."
