Meet the multicultural Uchiki Kuri (Cucurbita maxima) squash!Â
The Uchiki Kuri is one of Japan’s favourite squashes and considered part of Japanese traditional cuisine. However, squash are not native to Japan, so historians think that the ancestors of the Uchiki Kuri were brought to Japan from North America after Japan opened to trade with the USA in 1853. This squash belongs to the Hubbard squash species, which is the species Native Americans of North America originally domesticated. The squash is so popular in Japan that most is actually grown in California and imported to Japan to meet demands! From Japan, the Kuri squash found great popularity in both France and Germany where it is known as the Portimarron. Both the name Uchiki Kuri and Portimarron refer to the squash’s chestnut-like flavour.
