Upo (bottle gourd)

Available all-year round, upo is a gourd with uniform white flesh and thick green skin. The one in the photo is about a foot long although the average size is much bigger. The foot-long upo is just enough for one meal for a family of four. Upo is one of my kidsÕ favorite vegetables. The english name is bottle gourd; the scientific name is Lagenaria siceraria. To cook upo, the thick skin has to be cut with a knife (using a vegetable peeler isnÕt a good idea), the seeds are scooped out with a spoon and the white flesh is cut into the desired size. Upo is good as a sauteed vegetable dish or as an ingredients in soups. 

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