Nankin no Hana

The Japanese pumpkins I planted inside and outside our fence have really taken to the climate here and were in full bloom last week. That’s when our nanny told us you can eat the flowers and stems – I never knew that!
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Before eating, the small hairs on the stems (that cause contact allergies on many people) have to be scraped off. After that was done, we lightly steamed them and ate with no seasoning. I won’t go so far as to say they were delicious, but they were pleasant to eat on another level, like having the very essence of nature in your mouth. I can’t imagine eating them any other way, really.

4 thoughts on “Nankin no Hana

  1. Like zucchini flowers, you can stuff them with a light, tasty herbed cheese and fry them up, or stuff blossoms with a finely chopped veggie/herb/cheese stuffing and lightly steam them up.
    Pumpkin and squash flowers are are very nutritious and can be full of bugs, so you will probably love them!

  2. I like the yellow flowers contrasting so beautifully against the bright blue bowl! Nice photo.
    On another note, since a certain younger brother of your will not refresh his stale old blog, I want to wish him a very Happy 30th Birthday! Yes, he’s 30. Doesn’t that make you feel old?

  3. I’m somewhat disappointed to see that these blossoms are not stuffed with crunchy, spicy grasshoppers, then batter-dipped and deep fried, served with some nam pla spiked with chiles!

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