Fluted Pumpkin

Fluted pumpkin, also known as ugu, Telfairia occidentalis, is a tropical vine in the gourd family Cucurbitaceae, indigenous to southern Nigeria and grown in West Africa as a leaf vegetable and for its edible seeds. It grows throughout West Africa but is mainly cultivated in southeastern Nigeria, where an estimated 30 to 35 million people, particularly the Igbo ethnic group, traditionally use it. Its young leaves and shoots are the main ingredient of the Nigerian soup ofe egusi and are also prepared in stews and vegetable sauces, while its seeds, high in protein and fat, can be boiled whole, fermented, ground into flour for bread, or made into porridge.