Bottle Gourd

Bottle gourd, also known as calabash, Lagenaria siceraria, is a vine grown for its fruit, which can be harvested young and consumed as a vegetable or harvested mature, dried and used as a kitchen utensil. It is eaten across South Asia, including India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia, including the Philippines, Vietnam and Burma, East Asia, including China, Japan and Korea, parts of Africa, southern Italy and Sicily, and in Central America, where its seeds are used in the drink horchata. Regional dishes include lauki chana, a diced-gourd and chana dal preparation in India, tinola soup in the Philippines, shrimp and seafood soups in Vietnam, and both fresh and dried preparations in Korean side dishes.