Wax gourd

"Kundol" and "Winter melon" redirect here. For the lake, see Kundol Lake. For another use, see Cucumis melo.

Wax gourd
Wax gourd plant, flower and immature and mature fruit
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Cucurbitales
Family: Cucurbitaceae
Genus: Benincasa
Species:
B. hispida
Binomial name
Benincasa hispida
(Thunb.) Cogn.
Synonyms[1]
List
    • Benincasa cerifera Savi
    • Benincasa cylindrica Ser. nom. inval.
    • Benincasa pruriens (Parkinson) W.J.de Wilde & Duyfjes nom. inval.
    • Benincasa vacua (F.Muell.) F.Muell.
    • Cucurbita alba Roxb. ex Wight & Arn.
    • Cucurbita farinosa Blume
    • Cucurbita hispida Thunb.
    • Cucurbita littoralis Hassk.
    • Cucurbita pruriens Parkinson nom. inval.
    • Cucurbita pruriens Seem.
    • Cucurbita vacua F.Muell.
    • Cucurbita villosa Blume
    • Gymnopetalum septemlobum Miq.
Waxgourd, raw (Daily Value)
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy54 kJ (13 kcal)
3 g
Dietary fiber2.9 g
0.2 g
0.4 g
Vitamins and minerals
VitaminsQuantity
%DV†
Thiamine (B1)
3%
0.04 mg
Riboflavin (B2)
8%
0.11 mg
Niacin (B3)
3%
0.4 mg
Pantothenic acid (B5)
3%
0.133 mg
Vitamin B6
2%
0.035 mg
Folate (B9)
1%
5 μg
Vitamin C
14%
13 mg
MineralsQuantity
%DV†
Calcium
1%
19 mg
Iron
2%
0.4 mg
Magnesium
2%
10 mg
Phosphorus
2%
19 mg
Potassium
0%
6 mg
Selenium
0%
0.2 μg
Sodium
5%
111 mg
Zinc
6%
0.61 mg
Other constituentsQuantity
Water96.1 g
Link to USDA Database entry values are for edible portion
†Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults,[2] except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from the National Academies.[3]

Benincasa hispida, the wax gourd,[4][5] also called ash gourd,[6] white gourd, winter gourd, winter melon, tallow gourd, ash pumpkin,[6] Chinese preserving melon,[6] is a vine grown for its very large fruit, eaten as a vegetable when mature. It is the only member of the genus Benincasa.

It is native to South and Southeast Asia. The wax gourd is widely grown throughout Asia,[7] including Java and Japan,[8] the places where it is thought to have originated.[9]

One variety of the plant, called chi qua (Benincasa hispida var. chieh-qua), is commonly used in Asian cuisine.[10]

  1. ^ "Benincasa hispida (Thunb.) Cogn". World Flora Online. World Flora Consortium. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  2. ^ United States Food and Drug Administration (2024). "Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels". FDA. Archived from the original on 2024-03-27. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
  3. ^ National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Health and Medicine Division; Food and Nutrition Board; Committee to Review the Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium (2019). Oria, Maria; Harrison, Meghan; Stallings, Virginia A. (eds.). Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium. The National Academies Collection: Reports funded by National Institutes of Health. Washington, DC: National Academies Press (US). ISBN 978-0-309-48834-1. PMID 30844154. Archived from the original on 2024-05-09. Retrieved 2024-06-21.
  4. ^ "Wax Gourd". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
  5. ^ Useful Tropical Plants, 'Benincasa hispida'. Accessed on 2017-11-19.
  6. ^ a b c "Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database". Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  7. ^ "Benincasa hispida". Plant Finder. Missouri Botanical Garden. n.d. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
  8. ^ Gopalakrishnan, T. R. (2007). Vegetable Crops. New Delhi, India: New India Publishing. p. 138. ISBN 978-81-89422-41-7.
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference handbook was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ "Chi qua (Benincasa hispida var. chieh-gua)". NSW Government Department of Primary Industries. State of New South Wales. 20 March 2008. Archived from the original on 2020-05-12. Retrieved 2020-05-11.