General Description/History

One of the staples of the Chinese diet. Chi quas are distinguished by their coating of fine hairs and need to be handled carefully, as the hairs can cause skin irritations. Very young chi quas can be eaten raw, but they are more usually cooked. They have a mild, pleasant flavour not unlike zucchini. They can be peeled, then chunks added to soup or sliced and stir fried or barbequed. They are particularly good when the seedy core is scraped out and the gourd stuffed with pork, prawns or other flavoursome mixture before baking or steaming.

Season: Summer,Autumn,Winter,Spring

Botanical Name: Benincasa hispida var. chieh-qua

Alternative Names: Hairy Melon, Mafeng, Bi đao

Availablity: March,April,May,June,July,August,September,October,November,December

Growing Areas: