Calabash, Crescentia cujete is a fruit bearing tree, member of the family Bignoniaceae an attractive tropical family containing numerous trees, shrubs and vines with exquisite, splashy blossoms. There are some trees in this species in which the seeds/nuts are used up for food, despite the unpleasant odor in the fruit.

Calabash grows in the West Indies and Central and South America. It is frequently raised as an ornamental. The tree may reach 12 meters high with an extended, arching canopy. It is a preferred perch for orchids. The evergreen leaves are about 5-15 cm long and lance-shaped. The tree may blossom and fruit at any time of the year. Flowers have five petals fused in a funnel shape; they are light green and purplish in color.

Calabash Fruit and Nuts

Calabash produces large rounded fruit up to 50 cm in diameter, with thin but hard casings. They grow along the trunk and limbs. They are green and smooth until they are picked and dried out or finally turn yellow-green and fall to the ground. A harvest of 100 or more of these large spheres may hang up from the tree for up to seven months. The fruit is filled with a solid mass of sponge like, juicy white pulp containing a large number of dark-brown 0.5cm long seeds.

In Caracas the seeds are employed to make a popular confectionery called “carabobo. The seeds when crushed are used to make syrup. For a large number of seeds to be obtained, the following method is used. A number of Calabash fruit are cooked on hot but burn down coals. The paste-like roasted pulp is taken out and it is stirred up vigorously in water until the seeds separate and sink. The seeds are then transferred, dried out and pound into a fine powder, mixed with sugar, a little water and brought to a boil. This makes pleasant syrup.

In Mexico the local people use the seeds on special social functions such as birthdays. The ripe seeds are ground with roasted pumpkin seeds, raw rice and lemon peel. Sugar, water, and ice are added to the mixture prior to been served up.

Calabash Propagation Methods

Plant propagation is by seed.

calabash, Crescentia cujete

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