Turban squash
About Turban squash[]
Squashes are part of the cucurbita family and they are also known as pumpkins. These fruits (which are basically consumed as vegetables) have their origins in countries like Mexico and Guatemala – in these cuisines, pumpkins are used in many recipes. There is a wide range of such fruits, which have all a tender flesh with a mild-sweet taste. From all the pumpkin species, the turban squash has the most interesting appearance, as it looks like it is wrapped in numerous layers of green, white and red colors, which form an authentic Oriental turban. This specie of squash is a winter specie, but it is available all year, although it tastes at its best when it is consumed fresh. Like all other squashes, the turban squash is low in calories, although it contains some more sugars, which gives its sweet taste.
The large turban squashes are not as delicious as the small ones – the smaller ones have a sweet taste and a mealy texture and that is why they are prepared baked or integrated in pies.
This family of winter squashes all have hard bumpy shells and turban-like formations at the blossom end. Buttercup Squash is one of the more popular varieties. Turban squashes come in a variety of sizes ranging from 2 to 15 inches in diameter at the base. Because they're quite colorful, with varying bright hues of orange, green and yellow, turban squashes are often used for decoration rather than eating. They can be baked, steamed or simmered.