Squash/Pumpkin Identification

[Arthur Pounder]

As with nearly all my Google Image searches, I can find things similar but never definitive.

My kindly neighbour gave me this after I enquired what was growing up and over her fence with alarming vigour.

She tried to explain that it was some kind of pumpkin, her sister grows them in Singapore and in a soup it is very good for the heart. However her English is marginally better than my Mandarin and we just repeated each other for five minutes.

It weighs about 6lbs and is taut as a drum.



Any ideas?

[Florence Fennel]

Don't know chuck, but it's rather beautiful. I'm sure a pumpkin expert will be along shortly. I've grown Atlantic Giants, Blue Moon and Jacks, but it doesn't look like any of the above.

[Arthur Pounder]

I found this link eventually which seems to be the same thing.

Shark fin melon, the spaghetti squash?

More confused now, I don't really want to cut it open yet.

[northepaul]

Probably completely wrong but it does look a bit like a watermelon - so it would fit its its a sharks fine melon.

[Creemteez]

Looks very like a sharks fin melon to me. Would be very interested to know how the soup turns out!!!

[shona_b]

Have you seen the film "Grown Your Own" ? very funny especially if you're part of an allotment society - but my point is that the chinese plot holder there grew shark fin melons as a delicacy as its used instead of real sharks fins in soup. So could well be right - check out this link as apart from the recipe it has lots more info
Shark’s Fin Melon Soup Recipe

[Arthur Pounder]

Have you seen the film "Grown Your Own" ? very funny especially if you're part of an allotment society - but my point is that the chinese plot holder there grew shark fin melons as a delicacy as its used instead of real sharks fins in soup. So could well be right - check out this link as apart from the recipe it has lots more info
Shark’s Fin Melon Soup Recipe

I have actually, even though I remember the guy growing the melon/squash, I didn't remember specifics.

My soups are a little more rustic than those works of art, so I need to find something simpler.

[binley100]

Sharks fin melon ........have you a chainsaw handy to open it with?

I was given one , tbh it tastes of nothing really . Very gelatinous , b@gger to get into so when they say peel and deseed go into the workshop and find the sharpest strong tool you possess.

[1066]

another vote for Sharks Fin !

[Arthur Pounder]

Sharks fin melon ........have you a chainsaw handy to open it with?

I was given one , tbh it tastes of nothing really . Very gelatinous , b@gger to get into so when they say peel and deseed go into the workshop and find the sharpest strong tool you possess.

I was expecting a fight but it gave up quite easily to a large kitchen knife. Sliced like a melon rather than a pumpkin. Huge seed interior in a very fibrous membrane, with very little flesh for it's size. I looked at all the Asian recipes for it, and they mainly contained stuff I didn't have or stuff I'd never heard of. So I just went with a basic chop in to a pan with carrot, onion, celery, salt and pepper and water. It's taste was hard to pinpoint, it was like a mild cross between potato, melon and turnip.

I've kept a big pile of seeds to see if I can dry them properly. Maybe smaller ones will have more flesh.