kabocha(Japanese pumpkin)

[prasantrin]

I bought some kabocha the other day, and when I unwrapped it today I noticed the rind was pale green. Odd, I thought, but I proceeded to cook and cube it. Then I noticed that pale green stuff wasn't rind, but there was some kind of opaque coating on the rind which I probably should have peeled off before cooking it...or at least before cubing it...

Since when did kabocha have coatings on the rinds?

[edwardsboi]

This thread caught my attention so I'm reviving it! I love Kabocha but I tend to hit or miss when it comes to selecting a good one. Anyone willing to share tips on selecting a kabocha?

I have this same problem, and nobody at the farmers market can help either. Their response is that all their Kabochas are good.

When I did a little research, I found that the key to Kabocha is storage at the correct temperature and humidity for a few weeks. That's even more important than how long it was on the stem. But, do the stores or farmers do that or are we supposed to do that? And, just by looking at them, how can you tell if that's been done?

And, with some of the Kabochas I'm seeing, they've have these rough orange bumps on their skin? Is that a good sign, or bad sign? And, if you're eating the skin, do you want to avoid those areas.

[melonpan]

i only recently realised that they are often sold here as buttercups!

ill have to check and see if they have some weird coating on the ones here. i know that the peel is often quite soft but i usually wash and peel before cooking.

Edited November 1, 2008 by melonpan (log)

[torakris]

I saw a really interesting show on kabocha not to long ago on the tv show Megaten (Sundays at 7am on Nihon TV). One thing they discovered was that the best flavor came out 1 to 1 1/2 months after picking. Kabocha are actually have a very soft skin at picking and are quite delicate but are pretty much flavorless at that point. They also lose flavor after the 1 1/2 month storage and should be avoided after 3 months.

The problem is how do you know how long they have been stored? I wish they would put labels showing the date they were picked.

I can't link directly to the page for some reason but this is their homepage. It is a really great show, it is geared toward children so it is fairly easy to understand.

[Hiroyuki]

If you can't, I can!

Here is a link.

But there is another problem. It's entirely in Japanese.

I watched the TV program, too.

And, with some of the Kabochas I'm seeing, they've have these rough orange bumps on their skin? Is that a good sign, or bad sign? And, if you're eating the skin, do you want to avoid those areas.

I have no idea, but I avoid buying such kabocha in the first place.

[melonpan]

Kabocha are actually have a very soft skin at picking and are quite delicate but are pretty much flavorless at that point. They also lose flavor after the 1 1/2 month storage and should be avoided after 3 months.

do you know off hand when kabocha season is?

currified k salad:

microwaved kabocha, add kewpie, curry, a few raisins, pepper.

love it!

[nakji]

do you know off hand when kabocha season is?

Isn't it fall?

Curried salad sound fabulous, I'll try that!

[prasantrin]

do you know off hand when kabocha season is?

Isn't it fall?

Curried salad sound fabulous, I'll try that!

←

nakji, remember your miso kabocha mashed thing? Is the kabocha supposed to be mashed when hot? And is the dish supposed to be hot, too?

I steamed some kabocha the other day, thinking I'd make it, but I never got around to the mashing and adding other ingredients part, so now it's sitting in my fridge awaiting its miso-parmesan-butter glory.

[nakji]

Well, I made it hot, but no reason you couldn't eat it cold. The only reason I'd want it hot is to melt the butter. I'd nuke your kabocha to warm it up, then stir in the seasonings. Then you can eat it right away, or not. I usually end up serving my vegetable side dishes at room temp anyway, because I make them before getting to the main dish, and then they sit on the table until we're ready to eat.

Enjoy!

[edwardsboi]

What's the difference between the green skin kabochas and orange skin kabochas other than the color of course? What's the difference in flavor profiles, if any?

If you can't, I can!  

Here is a link.

But there is another problem.  It's entirely in Japanese.

So what program did you use to translate it?

[prasantrin]

So what program did you use to translate it?

←

He probably used his brain...he's Japanese, you know!

nakji--I finally made the kabocha miso parmesan mash. I like it! But my parmesan was a bit stale (powdered Italian parmesan from Costco--a step up from Kraft, but definitely not like freshly grated). I might try it without the parmesan next time, and there will definitely be a next time!

[Hiroyuki]

So what program did you use to translate it?

←

He probably used his brain...he's Japanese, you know!

Thanks, prasantrin!

As for the difference between green and orange kabocha, I have no idea. I've never had orange ones.

[nakji]

nakji--I finally made the kabocha miso parmesan mash. I like it! But my parmesan was a bit stale (powdered Italian parmesan from Costco--a step up from Kraft, but definitely not like freshly grated). I might try it without the parmesan next time, and there will definitely be a next time!

I'm glad you enjoyed it! I always use the cheapest block parmesan from Seijo Ishii for mine. I like it as a foil for spicy foods, or other highly flavoured dishes. I'd like to translate the flavours into a soup, but I think they'd need a spike of acid - maybe apple or yuzu. What do you think?

[prasantrin]

I'm glad you enjoyed it! I always use the cheapest block parmesan from Seijo Ishii for mine. I like it as a foil for spicy foods, or other highly flavoured dishes. I'd like to translate the flavours into a soup, but I think they'd need a spike of acid - maybe apple or yuzu. What do you think?

←

Maybe a teeny bit of balsamic. Or apple cider vinegar, maybe, or just ordinary rice vinegar, but I'd personally stay away from any kind of citrus. And any acid added would have to be just a wee bit.

[v. gautam]

H-San,

Re: orange-skinned kabocha, please try asking for RED KURI and see what the response is, whether the name rings a bell in your rural area or if that variety may be available for sale.

Kris-san,

That blue-gray skin has a leetle Australian blood in it or some Blue Hubbard, an exceptional winter squash. The flesh color also tallies. Take a look at Cucurbita pepo cv. JARRAHDALE. Anyway, they all are part of the same group.

As you get to Thailand and India, you find the speckled/mottled skin, eaten skin-on when almost ripe, but not when dead ripe and the skin has hardened and flesh has turned deeper orange. Much sweeter then and used for long storage. So 2 separate uses, a less sweet, less mature form, lighter flesh color, eaten with the skin; kabocha/calabaza type. The same ripened to sweeter drier hard skiined stage, when cooked skin on or off but skin not consumed [usually].

One way to skin kabocha is to slice a half, face down into reasonably thin strips along the lines of 'longitude' with a cleaver or heavy knife. Then one may use either knife, cleaver [or peeler i you must] to slice away the skin of the crescents as they lie flat on the board, their inner side towards your left hand holding it steady, the outer curve engaged by your right hand wielding the cutting blade removing the skin in short quick angular strokes: 11.50 -12, 12-2, 2-4, 4-6, 6-7. Finish. Next.

Make the crescents as thick or thin as you need. Start thin. When grated, you can make range of stir fries adother texturally interesting dishes. Add cooked whole chickpeas, adzuki beans, okara(soy), fresh tamarind extract or Laxmi bottled paste [never the brand TAMCON], dried mango powder, dried pomegranate seed as other acids. Yoghurt too. Sour buttermilk.

In Indian cooking, we need raw cubes of squash, sometimes with skin, sometimes without. This kabocha is a mainstay of the cooking of Bengal. Different shapes beg different cutting techniques.

[YSC]

I love kabocha too and I've recently been eating it roasted as a change from simmered. I cut the kabocha into about 1-1.5 cm thin slices (a very sharp knife works well -- I find my carbon steel nakiri bocho is more effective than a cleaver because it gives you more control). Then toss with some olive oil and a little salt and roast in the oven with medium heat until soft (about 45 minutes depending on your oven & thickness of kabocha etc.). It's nice plain but I also sometimes make a yogurt cilantro sauce to go with it. (yogurt, cilantro, salt and lemon juice to taste, then blend in a very small blender).

Today I wanted to make this again but felt bad about using the oven for so long, so I sliced the kabocha and tried to see whether I could pan fry it. I put some olive oil in a stainless steel pan and put the kabocha slices in. After they began to caramelize and stick to the pan, I added a little bit of water and put a lid on it. This steamed the kabocha and cooked it very quickly. I opened the lid at the end so the water would boil off. It turned out quite well -- not as sweet and crispy as the oven roasted version but pretty good. Plus it used a lot less electricity... I sprinkled a little sea salt, sliced some cooked beets on it and served it as a colourful vegetable dish. My husband ate almost half a whole kabocha for dinner!

Edited March 1, 2009 by YSC (log)