Zucchini

Zucchini (Cucurbita pepo), also called courgette, is an annual trailing herb of the gourd family (Cucurbitaceae) native to Central America and Mexico. It has long, stout stems covered with rough hairs and bearing tendrils; the leaves are large, heart-shaped to lobed, with toothed margins and long petioles. The yellow unisexual flowers, 8–12 cm across, grow on the same plant; male and female flowers are separate, and the female flower has a small ovary below the petals that develops into the fruit. The young fruit — the part mainly eaten — is cylindrical, 15–25 cm long, with dark green skin marked by paler stripes and veins, and inside is watery white flesh with many flat seeds; left to mature, the skin hardens. Zucchini likes full sun and loose, fertile, well-drained soil, is grown from seed, and can be harvested in only about 40–60 days. It is a popular vegetable worldwide; in Vietnam it is grown mainly in highland areas such as Da Lat and Sa Pa.