Editing Calabash (section)

== Culinary uses ==
=== Central America ===
In Central America the seeds of the bottle gourd are toasted and ground with other ingredients (including rice, cinnamon, and allspice) to make one type of the drink ''[[horchata]]''.

=== East Asia ===
==== China ====
The calabash is frequently used in southern Chinese cuisine in either a stir-fry dish or a soup.

==== Japan ====
[[File:Leiden University Library - Seikei Zusetsu vol. 26, page 006 - 苦瓠, 懸瓠 - Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standl., 1804.jpg|thumb|Calabash varieties, illustration from the Japanese agricultural encyclopedia [[Seikei Zusetsu]] (1804)]]
In Japan, it is commonly sold in the form of dried, marinated strips known as ''[[Kanpyō (food)|kanpyō]]'' and is used as an ingredient for making ''[[sushi|makizushi]]'' (rolled [[sushi]]).

==== Korea ====
Traditionally in Korea, the inner flesh has been eaten as ''[[namul]]'' vegetable and the outside cut in half to make bowls. Both fresh and dried flesh of ''bak'' is used in [[Korean cuisine]]. Fresh calabash flesh, scraped out, seeded, salted and squeezed to draw out moisture, is called ''baksok''. Scraped and sun-dried calabash flesh, called ''bak-goji'', is usually soaked before being stir-fried. Soaked ''bak-goji'' is often simmered in sauce or stir-fried before being added to ''[[japchae]]'' and [[gimbap]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://biz.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2016/09/06/2016090601077.html|title=[정재훈의 밥상 공부] 광해군이 먹고 감탄해 벼슬까지 내린 잡채는?|last=Jeong|first=Jaehoon|date=14 September 2016|newspaper=[[ChosunBiz]]|access-date=15 December 2016|language=ko|trans-title=[Jeong Jaehoon's dining table study] What japchae impressed Gwanghaegun so much that he gave it a title of a public official?}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.idomin.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=376043|title=냄비우동·박고지김밥…"5000원의 행복 맛보러 오세요"|last=김|first=민지|date=14 March 2012|newspaper=Gyeongnam Domin Ilbo|language=ko|trans-title=Naembi udong, bakgoji gimbap... "Come to taste the happiness of 5,000 won}}</ref> Sometimes uncooked raw ''baksok'' is seasoned to make ''[[saengchae]]''.

<gallery>
File:Baknamul(seasoned calabash).jpg|''Bak-[[namul]]'' (seasoned calabash side dish)
</gallery>

=== Southeast Asia ===

==== Burma ====
In Burma, it is a popular fruit. The young leaves are also boiled and eaten with a spicy, fermented fish sauce. It can also be cut up, coated in batter and deep fried to make [[fritters]], which are eaten with Burmese [[mohinga]].

==== Philippines ====
In the Philippines, calabash (known locally as {{lang|tl|upo}}) is commonly cooked in soup dishes like [[tinola]]. They are also common ingredients in noodle (''[[pancit]]'') dishes.
<gallery>
Upojf.JPG|{{lang|tl|Upo}} with [[sotanghon]]
873Home cooking of ginisang upo with Campbells Cream of Mushroom Soup 19.jpg|{{lang|tl|Upo}} being sauteed ({{lang|tl|ginisa}})
</gallery>

==== Vietnam ====
In [[Vietnamese cuisine|Vietnam]], it is a very popular vegetable, commonly cooked in soup with shrimp, meatballs, clams, various fish like [[Airbreathing catfish|freshwater catfish]] or [[Snakehead (fish)|snakehead]] fish or crab. It is also commonly stir-fried with meat or seafood, or incorporated as an ingredient of a [[hotpot]]. It is also used as a medicine. Americans have called calabashes from Vietnam "opo squash".

The [[Shoot (botany)|shoot]]s, [[tendril]]s, and [[leaf|leaves]] of the plant may also be eaten as [[leaf vegetable|greens]].

=== South Asia ===
==== India ====
[[File:Calabash hanging.jpg|thumb|An Indian calabash]]
[[File:লাউশাকের পোস্ত, কলকাতা.jpg|alt=A white bowl containing 'Laau shaaker posto', which is a typical Bengali dish made with the stems and leaves of a bottle gourd plant, potatoes, and 'bori' which is sundried dollops of lentil paste. It's cooked in poppy seed-mustard paste.|thumb|Bengali dish made with the stems and leaves of a bottle gourd plant]]
A popular north Indian dish is ''lauki chana'', (''[[Chickpea|chana dal]]'' and diced gourd in a semi-dry gravy). In the state of [[Maharashtra]] in India, a similar preparation called ''dudhi chana'' is popular. The skin of the vegetable is used in making a dry spicy [[chutney]] preparation. It is consumed in [[Assam]] with [[Malabar matthi curry|fish curry]], as boiled vegetable [[curry]] and also fried with potato and tomatoes. ''Lauki [[kheer]]'' (grated bottle gourd, sugar and milk preparation) is a dessert from [[Telangana]], usually prepared for festive occasions. In Andhra Pradesh it is called ''sorakaya'' and is used to make ''sorakaya pulusu'' (with tamarind juice), ''sorakaya palakura'' (curry with milk and spices) and ''sorakaya pappu'' (with [[lentil]]s). ''Lau chingri'', a dish prepared with bottle gourd and [[prawn]], is popular in [[West Bengal]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Waheed|first=Karim|date=2021-07-14|title=For Bangladesh, Kishwar has already won|url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/us-kishwar-has-already-won-2129391|access-date=2021-08-12|website=The Daily Star|language=en}}</ref> The edible leaves and young stems of the plant are widely used in [[Bengali cuisine]]. Although popularly called ''lauki'' in Hindi in northern part of the country, it is also called ''kaddu'' in certain parts of country like eastern India. (However, "kaddu" popularly translates to "pumpkin" in northern India.) It can be consumed as a dish with rice or [[roti]] for its medicinal benefits. In Gujarat, a traditional Gujarati savoury cake called [[handvo]] is made primarily using bottle gourd (in Gujarati, ''dudhi''), sesame seeds, flour, and often lentils. In Karnataka, bottle gourd is called ''Sorekayi'' and is used to prepare ''palya'' (stir-fry) and ''[[sambar (dish)|Sambaru]]'' (a south Indian stew). Also, crispy ''sorekayi dosé'' ([[Dosa (food)|dosa]]) is one of the popular breakfasts in Karnataka.

==== Bangladesh ====
In Bangladesh the fruit is served with rice as a common dish. It is called "Lau" in this country.

==== Nepal ====
In Nepal, in the [[Madhesh]]i southern plains, preparations other than as a normal vegetable include ''[[halva]]'' and ''[[Khichdi (dish)|khichdi]]''.

==== Pakistan ====
In Pakistan, the calabash is cultivated on a large scale as its fruit are a popular vegetable.

==== Sri Lanka ====
In Sri Lanka, it is used in combination with rice to make a variety of milk rice, which is a popular dish in Sri Lanka. Different types of curries are also made using this, specially white curries with coconut milk.

=== Europe ===

==== Italy ====
In Southern Italy and Sicily, the variety Lagenaria siceraria var. longissima, called zucca da vino, zucca bottiglia, or cucuzza, is grown and used in soup or along with pasta.

In Sicily, mostly in the Palermo area, a traditional soup called "Minestra di Tenerumi" is made with the tender leaves of var. Longissima along with peeled tomato and garlic. The young leaves are themselves called "tenerumi", and Lagenaria in Sicily is cultivated both professionally and in home orchards mostly to use the leaves as a vegetable, the fruit being treated almost as a secondary product.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Puca |first=Davide |title=Che cos'è una minestra? Il sistema delle minestre siciliane |trans-title=What is a soup? The system of Sicilian soups |language=it |journal=E/C |volume=27 |date=2019 |pages=1–11 |hdl=10447/492973 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>

It is also grown by the [[Italian diaspora]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Nicastro|first=Francesca|url=https://www.ditalia.com/blogs/the-secret-sauce/how-to-cook-with-cucuzza|title=How to Cook with Cucuzza|date=1 August 2017}}</ref>

<gallery>
File:Iozucchine.jpg| Man with cucuzza
</gallery>