[loogmaengaw]

Dear forum,

While I was out yesterday, our lovely neighbour a Bengali lady dropped by and gave my 8-year-old son a bag of spiky green pods. I went to her house this morning just to find out what they were but she wasn't there. I then searched on Google and the result showed as wild cucumbers. Does anyone know what they are? Are they edible?







Many thanks in advance.
Loog

[mumofstig]

They are Achocha/Caigua AKA 'Fat Babies' 

http://www.appalachianfeet.com/2010/12/13/how-to-grow-and-use-achochacaigua-a-problem-free-cucumber-substitute-wrecipes/

[loogmaengaw]

They are Achocha/Caigua AKA 'Fat Babies' 

http://www.appalachianfeet.com/2010/12/13/how-to-grow-and-use-achochacaigua-a-problem-free-cucumber-substitute-wrecipes/

Thanks a lot mumofstig. You have solved our day-long veggie mystery. Love the name too "fat babies".

Loog

[8doubles]

Are they edible ?

How hungry are you , have you run out of nettles and dandelions .

IMO if you are starving and as a last resort, if they were anything like good to eat the supermarkets , greengrocers and the like would be making a profit from them .

Grown them , eaten them and never again for both !

[Salmo]

I am sure we would all like to know how your kind neighbour uses them. Please ask her and report back.

The similarity to "weed" makes it very tempting to grow a few on my allotment.

[SnooziSuzi]

I saw something very similar at my fruit & veg shop today.  They were labeled 'horny melons'.  Not sure if they're the same thing but a curcubit is a curcubit

[New shoot]

The similarity to "weed" makes it very tempting to grow a few on my allotment.

I'd warn you off 'a few' unless you want buckets of them    You only need 1 plant or 2 at the most, as they are amazingly prolific. 

I pick them smaller, before the seeds have started to really form and go hard.  I prefer the flavour then and they don't take ages to prepare as you can eat the lot.   

They are good in curries.  I've used them in Thai green curry and as an okra substitute in a bhaji recipe.  They soak up spices well