Opo Squash

Women‍‍`s Corner
December 17, 2020

Opo squash features a lengthy, cylindrical-shape and is usually harvested when ten to fifteen inches long . Its smooth skin varies from a light-weight green to chartreuse and encases a creamy white flesh and petite seeds. When young the seeds are tender and edible but when the squash becomes more mature the seeds become hard and will be removed before consumption. Opo squash offers a light flavor reminiscent to a mix of summer squash and cucumber with a firm yet tender to the bite texture. Opo squash is out there year-round.

Opo squash, botanically a neighborhood of bottle gourd is an Oriental squash and a member of the Cucurbitaceae family. Botanically it's actually a spread of gourd though it's culinarily utilized as a summer squash. The Opo squash may be a calabash type squash and is closely associated with and depending upon location grown sometimes also mentioned as Cucuzza, calabash , Tasmania bean and Snake gourd. In China it's mentioned as Opo and Hulu or Moa Gua when it's the variability where the skin is covered in hairs.

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Opo squash is extremely low in calories and provides small amounts of vitamin C , folate, calcium, iron, zinc and B vitamins. it's also rich in fiber and is believed to help aid in healthy digestion. The juice of Opo squash is touted for its vitamin C and zinc content also as for its ability to potentially regulate blood glucose levels. In India the juice is popularly consumed as a health benefiting beverage, caution should be used however on not ever consume Opo juice that has developed a bitter flavor because it may contain toxins which will be extremely harmful to the digestive track and may cause ulcers and even be fatal.

Opo squash is employed most frequently in cooked applications. When young it are often utilized with skin on or when more mature the skin are often removed for a more tender texture. Young Opo squash are often utilized in a fashion almost like that of zucchini. In China cubed Opo squash is popularly added to soups, stews and stir-fries or grated and utilized in batter for quick breads and fritters.

More mature Opo squash are often slow roasted or pureed and added to sauces and soups. In China the Opo squash is additionally 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. To store keep Opo squash dry and refrigerated, best used within two to 3 weeks.

In addition to being a food source when young the mature, dried Opo squash is employed throughout Asia for an array of other uses. In China the dried Opo is seen as a symbol for health and is believed to soak up negative energies that would harm the body. In ancient China doctors were also known to hold medicine inside the dried squash to be used in treating the sick.

In Chinese culture Opo squash were also for a time grown in molds to make varying shapes then dried, carved decoratively and used to house pet crickets, the gourd providing not only a home for the crickets but amplifying their sound and creating a instrument of sorts also . In India when dried the Opo squash has long been wont to make the bottom of musical instruments like the sitar. within the Hindu faith dried Opo gourd is employed as a vessel in ceremonies and called the kamandalu.