Japanese pumpkin (kabocha) is a Japanese variety of Cucurbita. It is a type of winter squash .
Varieties and variety nomenclature
kabocha variety names and types are not always clearly defined, making direct translation difficult. To make matters worse, English names like pumpkin, or walnut, are equally ill-defined. Although there are no strict rules and usage often depends on the speaker, general trends can be observed.
The word "kabocha" itself is often used to refer to the gourd-shaped Japanese kabocha. On the other hand, " Bōbura " tends to be used for spheres.
The word Kabocha is usually translated as pumpkin (pumpkin or squash), and the two main varieties of Japanese pumpkin are different species. In Japanese they are called Nihon Kabocha and Seiyo Kabocha
- nihon kabocha (ニホンカボチャ, cucurbita moschata) (literally " Japanese pumpkin " )
- seiyō kabocha (セイヨウカボチャ, cucurbita maxima) (literally "Western pumpkin")
Nihon Kabocha
Nihon Kabocha Originally imported from Portugal in the mid-16th century, Japanese kabocha grown in Miyazaki Prefecture is renowned for its quality, meaning that many chefs at Japan's fine restaurants use it. It usually has a ribbed and oblate spheroid shape, with black or dark green skin, like seaweed. Its texture is moist and sticky, and its taste is light, making it perfect for stewing, frying, and stuffing.
seiyō kabocha
Originally imported from the United States in the 19th century, seiyo kabocha ( Western kabocha/buttercup squash) is characterized by its smooth skin and sweet flesh. Water squash has a sweet taste and flaky texture, very similar to sweet potatoes. Seiyo dominates the Japanese grocery market. The reason is that the Nihon Kabocha variety is more tolerant to cold and easier to reproduce, and is not affected by climate and environment.
One of the most common varieties is the chestnut pumpkin (红かぼちゃ, "chestnut pumpkin"). Most of the varieties on the market are kuri kabocha (木かぼちゃ), and the varieties include:
- Ajihei Kabocha: Popular for its vibrant green skin and sweet, tender flesh. It has a rich, buttery flavor and smooth texture that makes it perfect for a variety of cooking uses, including soups, stews, and tempura.
- Ebisu: A widely grown variety in Japan, mainly produced in Saroma Town. Its skin has shallow grooves and is light green in color. Chestnut pumpkin has a powdery texture and contains relatively high water content.
- Miyako Kabocha: is a unique one with a distinctive dark green rind and deep ridges. Its meat is dense, sweet, and slightly dry, making it perfect for roasting or steaming. Miyako Kabocha is often used in traditional Japanese dishes such as nimono (stew) and oden (hot pot).
- Marron d'Or is a dry pumpkin with a nutty and sweet flavor, a perfect combination of dry and sweet. It has a consistent dark green color that doesn't fade easily.
- Cutie Kabocha is a small dark orange variety with light orange stripes .
- Emiguri Kabocha is characterized by its distinctly warty skin, which is striking in appearance. Its dark green rind envelops sweet, dense flesh, making it a favorite for a variety of culinary applications.
- Botchan Master: A mini pumpkin grown from Mikado seedlings in 1998 (Heisei 10). The fruit size is about 500 grams. The peel colors are black-green, vermilion, and off-white.
Classification of main varieties according to seed color
black seeds
Become mainstream in the Japanese market.
- Ebisu
- Miyako
- Kuriyutaka
- General chestnuts
- Kofuki
- Botchan
green chestnut seeds
The skin is grey-green. Also known as "Tokyo Pumpkin".
- Aromatic green skin chestnut
- Chikanari Yoshika G
red chestnut seeds
- Utsugi red skin sweet chestnut pumpkin: Characterized by its vermilion-red skin. It has a tangy sweetness and a moist chestnut squash texture. It's shaped like an onion. Outside Japan, it is known as "Hokkaido Kabocha" or "Hokkaido Sweet Kabocha".
- little red riding hood
- red fragrance
White-skinned seeds
The skin is white and the flesh is orange. The outer skin is hard and the storage stability is excellent.
- earl
- snow makeup
- dreaminess
Health Benefits of Japanese Pumpkin
Regular consumption of Japanese pumpkin can provide you with the most essential vitamins and minerals. Japanese pumpkin helps boost immunity and has antioxidant benefits due to its high content of beta-carotene. Rich in vitamin E and iron, it can also improve cold constitution, anemia, and improve blood circulation. In addition, Japanese pumpkin is also a rich source of fiber, so it can improve constipation. Other nutrients found in Japanese pumpkin are B vitamins, vitamin C and potassium, and it is free of fat, sodium and cholesterol.
It is also recommended to eat the skin, seeds and sticky parts of Japanese pumpkin. If you want to take beta-carotene, you should also eat pumpkin peels. Eat the sticky portion to meet your daily recommended fiber intake . Seeds are a great source of omega-6 fatty acids.
Generally speaking, Seiyo kabocha is more nutritious than Nihon kabocha. The β-carotene content of Seiyo kabocha is approximately 5 times that of similar Japanese products. However, Seiyo kabocha has higher calories and sugar than Nihon kabocha.
Tips for Choosing a Quality Japanese Pumpkin
whole japanese pumpkin
- Peduncle (stem): The stem of the Japanese pumpkin is brown, like a wine cork. Ripe Japanese pumpkins will never have fresh green stems.
- Skin: A good Japanese pumpkin basically has a hard and shiny skin.
- Color: The darker the hue, the better the quality. For Nihon kabocha, find a variety with dark green or almost black skin, while find a Seiyo variety with dark green skin.
- Weight: A good Japanese pumpkin should be heavy. If you hold a Japanese pumpkin and it feels heavier than you thought, that's a sign of kindness.
- Shape: Kabo tea is said to taste better in symmetrical and round shapes.
Sliced Japanese pumpkin
- Pulp: Ripe Japanese pumpkin flesh is bright, dark orange or yellow-brown. Also make sure to check that it looks plump.
- Seeds: The delicious Japanese squash is often filled with numerous seeds. Additionally, the seeds should be thick and swollen.
- Sticky flesh: The innards of a good-quality sliced kabocha are moist and meaty, with few cavities.
