Gourd uses and benefits

You may not be very familiar with gourd , let me introduce gourd to you!

Introduction to Gourd

Hugua (hù) is an annual vine herb of the genus Cucurbitaceae. The young fruit of hù is light in flavor and tender in quality, suitable for cooking. In some areas of Hebei, "hugua" refers specifically to zucchini, while "huzi" refers specifically to hùgua. In ancient China, its mature and dried fruit shells were used as containers and also for medicinal purposes. It has been recorded in the "Book of Songs". The remains of gourd fruits and peels were unearthed at the Hemudu site in Yuyao, Zhejiang and the Luojiajiao site in Tongxiang, indicating that the history of gourd cultivation in China can also be traced back to the Neolithic Age

Gourd Uses

The water content of young gourd fruit is 95%, and every 100 grams of fresh weight contains about 10-15 mg of vitamin C, as well as a small amount of sugar, phosphorus, calcium, etc. It has a light taste and tender quality, suitable for cooking, but not for eating raw. Some varieties have a bitter taste due to the glycosides of cucurbitacin in the fruit flesh. In production, parents without bitterness are selected and pollination is controlled, so that the offspring of the seeds produced will not have bitter taste.

Nutritional analysis of gourd

Daily Use

As a daily utensil, the gourd has many uses. The gourd opening can be made into various shapes for use. The most common ones are water jugs or wine jugs for holding water or wine. They can also be used to scoop water, wash rice, scoop noodles, hold things, etc. In ancient times, gourds were also used to hold medicines. They are indeed better than other containers such as iron boxes, pottery jars, and wooden boxes for storing medicines because they have strong sealing properties, moisture is not easy to enter, and it is easy to keep the medicines dry and not damaged or deteriorated. In addition, gourds can also be made into boats and farm tools, and even made into firearms for use in wars.