Large gourd varieties

The varieties of large gourds can be summarized into the following five types. Let’s take a closer look at them.

Big Gourd

(1) Big gourd

The fruit is round and large at the bottom, about 25-30 cm in diameter, with a short and thick handle and a skin 1-1.5 cm thick. This gourd is large in size, with a white and tender skin when young, making it a good vegetable for farmers and can be eaten in many ways. When mature, the skin is firm and can be sawed in half to make a "ladle" for scooping water.

(ii) Gourd

Its shape is very cute, like two stacked spheres, small on top and large on the bottom, with a slender "waist" in the middle. The size of the waist gourd varies greatly, it is said that the big one is one meter high, and the small one is only the size of a pea. "The History of the Palace of Ming Dynasty. Huo Ji" records: "There are also real small gourds as big as peas, called 'Cao Li Jin', two of which can be planted for 20 to 30 taels, all of which are expensive." The most commonly seen waist gourds are 20-25 cm high, and the small ones are about 10 cm, mainly for viewing.

(III) Flat round gourd

It is round and flat in shape, with a diameter of 7-9 cm. Because it looks like a big persimmon, it is called "persimmon gourd" in the Beijing-Tianjin area; it is called "oil gourd" in Shandong and northern Jiangsu.

(IV) Long-handled gourd

The lower part is round, the size of a flat gourd, with a thin and long handle, more than a foot long. This kind of gourd can also be eaten when it is young. When it is ripe, it was mainly used to make gourd pipes in ancient times. Now it is sawed into spoons or ladles.

(V) Gourd

It is cylindrical in shape, with different thicknesses and lengths, like a large loofah. When young, the skin is greenish-white, tender and juicy, and can be eaten. When mature, the skin is white and the texture is not too hard. In addition to being eaten, it can be used to mold long gourds.