Abóbora japonesa grown in Massachusetts for sale at a market in Framingham Mass. in 2007 (Photo by Maria Moreira)
Introduction
Abóbora japonesa (Japanese squash in Portuguese) is the result of crossing Cucurbita maxima and Cucurbita moschata. The first commercial hybrid, ‘Tetsukabuto’, was developed in Japan. It was introduced to Brazil in 1960 in the state of Minas Gerais, which is now the major producer of abóbora híbrida in Brazil.
This hybrid is also called abóbora híbrida and abóbora moranga; some people in Brazil call it kabutia, a Japanese translation for pumpkin.
Abóbora japonesa is an important vegetable in many Brazilian recipes including salads, soups, and meat dishes. It can also be canned or used as a baby food. Consumers look for the deep orange flesh and ,because of this, it is commonly sold halved and wrapped in plastic.
Production
Due to the male flowers being sterile, a pollinator variety must be planted with the hybrid variety. In Brazil, the varieties abóbora moranga, which should be planted 15 days before the hybrid, or abóbora italiana, which should be planted 15 days later than the hybrid. It is recommended to plant one pollinator for every 5-6 hybrid plants in a row, or 1 row of pollinator for each 5-6 rows of the hybrid.
Additional production practices will be the same for winter squash and pumpkin. For more information on the production and management of abóbora híbrida, go to the New England Vegetable Management Guide and click on "pumpkin and squash".
Seed Sources
Popular commercial varieties in Brazil are “Tetsukabuto”, “Suprema”, and “Triunfo”. “Tetsukabuto” is available through Evergreen seeds company Evergreenseeds . Look under “Oriental Squash” and “Japanese Squash, Hybrid Tetsukabuto”.
Nutritional Information
Serving Size 100g : Calories 45. Carbohydrate (g) 11.5. Protein (g) 1. Fat (g) 0.1. Fiber (g) 2. Potassium (mg) 352. Calcium (mg) 50. Iron (mg) 0.7. Vitamin A (IU) 2570
