We thought that we had planted Acorn Squash when, in fact, they turned out to be Kabocha Squash (Japanese Pumpkin). After we saw some in the produce department of the local supermarket, I looked them up on Wikipedia. Today many of the kabocha in the market are of the type called Kuri kabocha, which was created based on Seiyo kabocha (buttercup squash). It’s popular for its strong yet sweet flavor.
It’s a good thing I looked them up on line because there are certain procedures that must be followed after harvesting them. First, they need to ripen in warm temperature for a couple of weeks and then they need to be stored in a cool dry place for about a month to increase the carbohydrate content. In this way the just-harvested, dry, bland-tasting kabocha is transformed into smooth, sweet kabocha.
I guess we’ll be trying Kabocha Squash later this summer. Click on the image to enlarge.
