Food - Drink
What Is Kabocha Squash And How Do You Cook With It?
By HEATHER LIM
Kabocha squash is a type of squash that resembles a pumpkin in appearance and a sweet potato in flavor. It’s round and stout, with striped green skin and yellow-orange flesh that, despite its low sugar and carb content, tastes much sweeter than butternut squash; it is usually characterized as a winter vegetable.
Kabocha earned its name in Japan, where it’s an essential vegetable in Japanese cuisine, used in all types of dishes, including fish soups, tempuras, and korokke or croquette. The squash, however, originated in Peru and was brought by Portuguese traders from South America to Europe and Asia in the 16th century.
Kabocha has a moderately high glycemic index of 75, but a lower glycemic load than sweet potato, so it won’t drastically spike your blood sugar. With only 3 grams of sugar and 7 grams of carbohydrates per an 85-gram serving, it’s safe and even beneficial for diabetics, and also helps maintain healthy sodium levels and lower blood pressure.
Kabocha can be easily steamed in the microwave by sectioning and deseeding it, becoming sweeter when dry-heated. In Japan, kabocha is deep-fried as tempura or simmered in dashi stock with fish and other vegetables, while in Korea, it’s most commonly macerated with glutinous rice and rice flour for danhobak-juk (kabocha porridge).