Name: Korean zucchini, called aehobak — a pale green, slightly curved, thin-skinned summer squash, shorter and fatter than ordinary zucchini, with tender, mild, slightly sweet flesh. It is a staple of Korean cooking.
Description
Aehobak, meaning “baby squash,” is harvested young and is one of the most widely used vegetables in Korean food, in stir-fries, stews, pancakes and soups. It is a summer squash related to zucchini, and also known as Korean squash or Asian zucchini.
The skin is very thin and edible, and the flesh is tender, soft and a little sweeter than zucchini, and holds up well to cooking in broth. It is typically sliced into half-moons or sticks, and cooked quickly.
Main nutrition value
Korean zucchini is very low in calories, and provides vitamin C, potassium, manganese and some folate, with a high water content.
How best to be consumed
Korean zucchini cooks very quickly, and is not peeled.
- Slice into half-moons or thin sticks, and stir-fry with garlic, salted shrimp (saeujeot) and sesame oil.
- Dip slices in egg and flour and pan-fry as hobak-jeon, a Korean pancake-like fritter.
- Add to stews such as doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew), soups and noodle dishes.
- Salt briefly to draw out water before frying.
- Use zucchini as a substitute if you cannot find it.
Overconsumption could cause…
Korean zucchini is safe and healthy in food amounts.
- Toxic squash syndrome from cucurbitacins, natural compounds that make a squash or gourd intensely bitter, and which can cause severe stomach upset, hair loss and even death in rare cases, so always taste a little raw and discard the whole fruit if it is very bitter.
- A lot of salt and oil in fried and fermented-paste dishes.
- Soggy texture if overcooked.
- Allergic reactions in rare cases.
Wikipedia — Zucchini, used for origin, naming and history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zucchini
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