At this point in the growing season, the zucchinis are long gone, the acorn squashes have been harvested, my lone pumpkin is beginning to change from green to orange, the melons are working to mature their second crop and the last of the cucumbers are coming in. The only cucurbit going strong these days is my opo vine. Opo is a type of edible calabash gourd. It has a very mild taste and will disintegrate to nothing in a soup if cooked for too long. I peel the skin, julienne the white flesh and use it in soups or stir-fries. The traditional Vietnamese dishes calling this squash are usually "light" in nature, which makes you feel like you're eating something healthy.
Unlike most other cucurbits, the large feathery flowers of the opo plant are soft white as opposed to yellow. The vines are also very sturdy and highly resistant to most diseases that target cucurbits. If you're looking for an interesting low-maintain summer squash variety to grow next year, consider this one!
Interesting plant - gorgeous photo with such beautiful veining in the petals.
ReplyDeletenever heard of opo before...but it sounds good!
ReplyDeleteLooks and sounds neat. Never heard of it before.
ReplyDeleteI have never heard of this variety before either. What lovely flowers! Thanks for sharing something new and interesting!
ReplyDeleteInteresting. Are they resistant to the squash vine borer?
ReplyDeleteI have never heard of that one, it's beautiful!
ReplyDeletePerfect vine picture. Are Opo also called bottle gourd? We use them a lot to make main dish to eat with rice. Actually they are also used to make veggie juice
ReplyDeleteAmazingly productive. I have one plant that has well over 50' of vines that produced dozens of opo. My current problem - what do you do with the ones that are 2' long and weigh over 10 pounds. I couldn't eat or give away the small ones quick enough, and now have at least a dozen real jumbos
ReplyDelete