Illustrated Compendium of Materia Medica (Vol. 6)

...? Spaghetti Squash original: 奎瓜 (kuíguā) Vegetable Section, Volume 68

kui guwa Manchu transliteration of the Chinese "Kuigua"

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original: 植物名實圖考 (Zhiwu Mingshi Tukao). This seminal 19th-century work by Wu Qijun is celebrated for its botanical accuracy and fine woodblock illustrations.

Spaghetti Squash

original: 攪絲瓜 (jiaosigua), literally "Stir-silk Gourd." This is the Spaghetti Squash (Cucurbita pepo), which is distinct from the fibrous sponge gourd used for cleaning.

The Spaghetti Squash grows in Zhili A northern administrative region of the Qing dynasty, covering modern-day Hebei, Beijing, and Tianjin. Its flowers and leaves are both similar to those of the pumpkin original: 南瓜 (nangua).

The gourd grows to be over a foot in length; its skin is yellow, and the inner pulp is also a pale yellow. The flesh naturally forms into strands, appearing exactly as if it had been finely shredded by a knife. One uses chopsticks to stir and extract these fibers, seasoning them with oil and salt for a meal. The flavor is comparable to that of kohlrabi original: 撇藍 (pielan).

The plant’s nature prefers cool weather. However, if it is sown such that it only reaches maturity in the deep of autumn, the fruit becomes poor in quality and is no longer suitable for eating.