Luffa acutangula
Luffa, Loofah, angled luffa, Chinese okra, dish cloth gourd, ridged gourd, sponge gourd, towel gourd, vegetable gourd, strainer vine, ribbed loofah, silky gourd, ridged gourd, silk gourd. Whatever name you prefer, these vine gourds are related to the cucumber.
丝瓜/絲瓜 (Mand: sī guā; Cant: si1 gwaa1) in Chinese.
If the luffa name is familiar to you, it may be because of the bath tub exfoliant, which is the dried pith of mature plants, usually from the closely related Luffa aegyptiaca, known as the smooth luffa. sponge gourd, Egyptian cucumber, or Vietnamese luffa. This one we also get but the first is much more common.
Both varieties are edible, but it is only the young fruits which we eat. Usually sliced and stir fried, they have a delicate flavour. My favourite way to have them I first tasted in a restaurant near my countryside home and have replicated many times. The halved gourds are sprinkled with finely chopped garlic and oil then steamed. This image is of the restaurant's version.
It is not recommended that you eat all your bathroom products.
