Chilacayote (Cucurbita ficifoglia)

Chilacayote (Cucurbita ficifoglia): this herbaceous plant with thousands of names, often referring to Asia, is actually native to Mexico, where it has always been consumed. It is included in Slow Food's Ark of Taste: Go to Slow Food article... It is used both, immature, as a zucchini, and ripe in preserves and juices. The seeds, of typical black colour, are also consumed as well as the leaves. The cultivation is simple, the plant is very rustic, resistant to common plant diseases such as pumpkins and with reduced water requirements compared to common pumpkins. The plant is vigorous, the tendrils are strong, the large leaves that resemble those of the fig tree will cover a wide area, they can be trimmed for contention. Fruits weighing around 2/3 kg have a leathery skin that preserves them for more than a year once picked. The white pulp has an intense vegetable flavour, if they are harvested ripe at the end of the summer, they should be consumed in December: the taste will improve. The leaves can be eaten stuffed, the sprouts sautéed. The unripe fruits are eaten like zucchini, many recipes are interchangeable with Chayote.

Other names: Siamese Pumpkin, Seven Year Pumpkin, Black Seed Pumpkin, Ficifoglia, Malabar Pumpkin. They are kind of the same in all languages.