Caigua

I grew Cyclanthera 'Fat Baby' as an ornamental last season and posted photos of it on G+. There, I met Anna who was growing Caigua (Cyclanthera pedata). We traded seeds.

Pretty, palmate leaves, displaying some yellowing, here, unfortunately.
(Container growing is not my forte!)

Caigua bloom

Smooth, slipper-like fruit


Surprisingly, these tender vines were able to cope with a few light frosts. I harvested this small lot on Aug. 30 and a slightly larger crop in mid-September. They are different in texture to cucumber but share a similar flavour. They can be pickled, sautéed or eaten fresh. As they mature, the pods become hollow which makes them perfect for stuffing.

I tried this tex-mex recipe (she has great info and photos so have a look!). It makes a great zucchini or pepper stuffer too. Yum!

2 comments:

  1. I was wondering, how Fat Baby compares to this one? Also, do you still have fat baby and this variety seeds? I would love to try them, and maybe I have some seeds you would like to try -like ground cherries, red veined sorrel, Burnak's wonderberry, etc.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, I have both. Please contact me via email and I'll send some your way. (you'll find email under weather gadget in top right column; it's the little orange envelope).

      Delete