Wax gourd
Benincasa hispida, the wax gourd, also called ash gourd, white gourd, winter gourd, winter melon, tallow gourd, ash pumpkin, Chinese preserving melon, is a vine grown for its very large fruit, eaten as a vegetable when mature. It is the only member of the genus Benincasa.
| Wax gourd | |
|---|---|
| Wax gourd plant, flower and immature and mature fruit | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Cucurbitales |
| Family: | Cucurbitaceae |
| Subfamily: | Cucurbitoideae |
| Tribe: | Benincaseae |
| Genus: | Benincasa Savi |
| Species: | B. hispida |
| Binomial name | |
| Benincasa hispida (Thunb.) Cogn. | |
| Synonyms | |
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List
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| Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) | |
|---|---|
| Energy | 54 kJ (13 kcal) |
3 g | |
| Dietary fiber | 2.9 g |
0.2 g | |
0.4 g | |
| Vitamins | Quantity %DV† |
| Thiamine (B1) | 3% 0.04 mg |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 9% 0.11 mg |
| Niacin (B3) | 3% 0.4 mg |
| Pantothenic acid (B5) | 3% 0.133 mg |
| Vitamin B6 | 3% 0.035 mg |
| Folate (B9) | 1% 5 μg |
| Vitamin C | 16% 13 mg |
| Minerals | Quantity %DV† |
| Calcium | 2% 19 mg |
| Iron | 3% 0.4 mg |
| Magnesium | 3% 10 mg |
| Phosphorus | 3% 19 mg |
| Potassium | 0% 6 mg |
| Selenium | 0% 0.2 μg |
| Sodium | 7% 111 mg |
| Zinc | 6% 0.61 mg |
| Other constituents | Quantity |
| Water | 96.1 g |
Link to USDA Database entry
values are for edible portion | |
| |
| †Percentages are roughly approximated using US recommendations for adults. Source: USDA FoodData Central | |
It is native to South and Southeast Asia. The wax gourd is widely grown throughout Asia, including Java and Japan, the places where it is thought to have originated.
One variety of the plant, called chi qua (Benincasa hispida var. chieh-qua), is commonly used in Asian cuisine.
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