Despite having the white flower of a gourd, these are eaten as a squash (eg. "Italian Squash") when the fruits are small. Enjoy them baked, grilled, raw, frozen, and pickled. It can also be left to grow large and dried as a gourd.

Cucuzzi features a thick, tender, creamy white flesh and are not at all bitter unless harvested at large sizes. This vine will produce a PROFUSION of edible gourds (8" - 10") and many large (the longest we've had so far is 40"!) gourds for drying and saving seeds for next year. They are fast growing - so make sure you check for edible fruits to harvest EVERY DAY - the fruits will easily grow 1 - 2 inches a day! These also make an excellent plant for children as they are so fast growing, the kids can almost see them grow!

Also known under a wide range of other names such as Zucchetta Cucuzzi, Serpent of Sicily, Italian Edible Gourd, Longissima, Bottle Gourd, Calabash, Suzza Melon, Zucca, Tasmania Bean, Guinea Bean, New Guinea Bean, White Flowered Gourd and Indian Squash, is a vine is an annual plant with hairy, shallow lobed leaves and white flowers (unlike squash which are always yellow flowered). The vines can run up to 25 feet in length. The female flowers produce long cylindrical gourd like fruits that are typically straight, while others may be twisted or coiled up like snakes (giving rise to the name Serpent of Sicily).

Be cautious when purchasing gourd seeds; growing many types of gourds or squash in close proximity to each other WILL affect the seeds by creating cross-pollinated gourds. The gourds themselves will be fine, but the seeds may well produce something that does not resemble the original. In reality, there is no 100% guaranteed distance to avoid cross-pollination because bees and moths can fly long distances, but I keep my gourds 300 – 400 feet apart to considerably reduce the chances of cross pollination. Ask sellers how they avoid cross-pollination before you buy.