Thursday word: kabocha

[prettygoodword.livejournal.com]

kabocha (kah-BOH-chah) - n., an Asian variety of the winter squash Cucurbita maxima with a sweet flesh and tender skin.


Introduced to the west from Japan, along with the Japanese name (南瓜), but grown throughout eastern and southeastern Asia, which is reflected in the name: it was introduced to Japan by Portuguese sailors, who called it Cambodia abóbora, lit. Cambodian pumpkin, where it was shortened to kabocha -- Portuguese -dia being pronounced very closely to Japanese -cha. In Japanese, the word is also used for pumpkins in general, even though it's actually a variety of buttercup squash. Delicious stuff, too -- sweeter than a standard buttercup, with a skin that softens to edibility when cooked.

The toddler took a hesitant bite of the offered kabocha, thought a moment, then pointed to the bowl with an eager, "Moir!"

---L.

Comments

[theidolhands.livejournal.com]

*does a boogie*

One of my all time favorite foods! Love the sentence!

[prettygoodword.livejournal.com]

The sentence is almost true, too. (The toddler in question was not yet using words, and communicated with "eh!" for everything.)

---L.

[theidolhands.livejournal.com]

^__^

[trellia-chan.livejournal.com]

I love kabocha! :-D

[prettygoodword.livejournal.com]

Especially when you bake a Thai pudding inside it. Mmmmmmmmmmmm.

---L.