category: food/groceries: vegetables: fruit vegetables

Rondini, bot.: Cucurbita pepo, de.: Rondini, fr.: rondini, it.: rondini

Rondini belong to the botanical family of gourds (bot.: Cucurbitaceae) and are fruit vegetables. They presumably originate in the subtropical regions of Asia and Africa. Rondini are small, round squashes that look very much like zucchini. Rondini plants climb, while zucchini grow like a bush. For consumers the most important difference is that rondini cannot be consumed raw.

Rondini are harvested green and unripe. Once harvested their colour stays green. Only when ripened on the vine, can rondini squashes turn orange to red.

Rondini: Preparation

When sliced open, it is visible that the seeds of rondini squashes are larger and more like pumpkin seeds, than like those of round zucchinis. Rondini are prepared like pumpkins. Their skin is inedible. They are boiled in water for about 15 minutes. Then they are cut in half and their seeds are removed. Their flesh can now be scooped out and eaten. A few drops of fresh lemon juice, some olive oil and a pinch of salt on the halved and deseeded fruit are enough to make a delicious dish.