View source for Zucchini

{{Short description|Edible summer squash}}
{{About|the fruit}}
{{Use American English|date=October 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2024|cs1-dates=sy}}
{{Infobox cultivar
| name = Zucchini
| image = {{multiple image
  | align = center
  | direction = vertical
  | width = 250
  | image_style = border:none;
  | img_gap = 0
  | image1 = CSA-Striped-Zucchini.jpg
  | image2 = Zucchini-Whole.jpg
  }}
| image_caption = Striped and uniform-colored zucchini
| genus = ''[[Cucurbita]]''
| species = ''[[Cucurbita pepo]]''
| origin = 19th-century northern Italy
| cultivar = 
}}

'''Zucchini''' ({{IPAc-en|z|uː|ˈ|k|iː|n|i|audio=en-us-zucchini.ogg}} {{respell|zoo|KEE|nee}}; {{plural abbr|''zucchini''}} or ''zucchinis'';<ref>{{cite Merriam-Webster|zucchini |access-date=2013-09-15}}</ref> in Italy, Australia, and North America),<ref>{{cite OED|zucchini}}</ref>  '''courgette''' ({{IPAc-en|k|ʊər|ˈ|ʒ|ɛ|t}} {{respell|koor|ZHET}}; in France and Britain),<ref>{{cite OED|courgette}}</ref> or '''''[[Cucurbita pepo]]'' var. ''cylindrica'''''<ref>{{cite web |url=https://itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=22365 |title=ITIS - Report: Cucurbita |website=The Integrated Taxonomic Information System |access-date=June 26, 2023}}</ref> is a [[summer squash]], a [[Vine|vining]] [[herbaceous plant]] whose fruit are harvested when their immature [[seed]]s and [[Fruit anatomy#Epicarp|epicarp]] (rind) are still soft and edible. It is closely related, but not identical, to the [[Marrow (vegetable)|marrow]]; its fruit may be called ''marrow'' when mature.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/digin/2010/07/gareth-austin-marrows-and-cour.shtml |title=BBC Dig In blog |last1=Austin |first1=Gareth |date=July 23, 2010 |website=Dig in Blog |publisher=BBC |access-date=April 11, 2016 |quote=Courgettes are commonly described as marrows harvested young. However, there are some slight horticultural differences between courgettes and marrows. Courgettes tend to be bushy and thin-skinned, whereas marrows tend to trailing and have a thicker skin.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Content/M/Marrow/Marrow.htm |title=The Gardener's Almanac, entry at "Marrow"|access-date=June 26, 2023 |quote=The general difference between Marrows and Courgettes / Zuchini is: Marrow plants tend to trail out and the fruit skin is quite thick, whereas Courgettes grow as a bush and the skins are quite thin.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=The Vegetable and Herb Expert|author=Dr. D.G. Hessayon|author-link = D. G. Hessayon|publisher=Expert Books|year=2009|location=London}}</ref>[[File:Golden zucchinis produced in the Netherlands for sale in a supermarket in Montpellier, France, April 2013.jpg|thumb|Golden zucchini grown in the Netherlands for sale in a supermarket in Montpellier, France, in April 2013]]

Ordinary zucchini fruit are any shade of green, though the golden zucchini is a deep yellow or orange.<ref name="illinois">{{cite web|url=http://urbanext.illinois.edu/veggies/ssquash.cfm|title=Summer Squash |publisher=[[University of Illinois]] Extension |access-date=September 15, 2013}}</ref> At maturity, they can grow to nearly {{convert|1|m|ft|abbr=off|sigfig=1}} in length, but they are normally harvested at about {{convert|15–25|cm|in|abbr=on|sigfig=1|}}.<ref>{{cite book|last=VanderBrug|first=Michael|title=The Timber Press Guide to Vegetable Gardening in the Midwest}}</ref> In [[botany]], the zucchini's fruit is a [[Berry (botany)#Modified berries|pepo]], a [[Berry (botany)|berry]] (the swollen [[ovary (botany)|ovary]] of the [[squash blossom|zucchini flower]]) with a hardened epicarp. In cookery, it is treated as a vegetable, usually cooked and eaten as an accompaniment or savory dish, though occasionally used in sweeter cooking.

Zucchini descend from squashes first [[Domestication|domesticated]] in [[Mesoamerica]] over 7,000 years ago,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Cucurbits|url=https://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/1492/cucurbits.html|access-date=January 3, 2021|website=www.hort.purdue.edu}}</ref> but the zucchini itself was bred in [[Milan]] in the late 19th century.<ref name="Harry S. Paris-2016">{{cite journal |author1=Teresa A. Lust |author2=Harry S. Paris |title=Italian horticultural and culinary records of summer squash (''Cucurbita pepo'' Cucurbitaceae) and emergence of the zucchini in 19th-century Milan |journal=Annals of Botany |date=2016 |volume=118 |issue=1 |pages=53–69|doi=10.1093/aob/mcw080 |pmid=27343231 |pmc=4934399 }}</ref> Zucchini occasionally contain toxic [[cucurbitacin]]s, making them extremely bitter, and causing severe gastro-enteric upsets. Causes include stressed growing conditions, and cross pollination with ornamental squashes.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Zucchini (courgette) |url=https://www.foodsafety.asn.au/zucchini-courgette/ |access-date=April 4, 2023 |website=foodsafety.asn.au |language=en-AU}}</ref>

==Etymology and common names==
The term ''zucchini'' is the plural of ''zucchino'', a [[diminutive]] of ''zucca'', meaning "gourd", "marrow", "pumpkin" or "squash" in [[Italian language|Italian]].<ref name="oed1">{{cite web |title=Zucchini |url=https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=zucchini |publisher=Online Etymology Dictionary |access-date=11 August 2025 |date=2025}}</ref> The word exists in both feminine ({{lang|it|zucchina}}, pl. {{lang|it|zucchine}}) and masculine ({{lang|it|zucchino}}, pl. {{lang|it|zucchini}}) forms, the first being standard Italian<ref>{{cite book | editor-last = Love| editor-first = Catherine E.| title = Collins Italian Dictionary| date = 1982| location = London| publisher = Collins| page=198|oclc= 1030088766 }}</ref> and the second a [[Tuscany|Tuscan]] variant. The original Italian text of [[Pellegrino Artusi]]'s 1891 cookbook {{lang|it|La scienza in cucina e l'arte di mangiar bene}} (Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well) uses the feminine form,<ref>{{cite book | last = Pellegrino | first = Artusi |authorlink=  Pellegrino Artusi |language=Italian| title= La_scienza_in_cucina | date = 2015|origyear=1891| location = Florence| publisher = Olschki|page=387|isbn = 978-8-82-226770-2}}</ref> but ''The Oxford Companion to Italian Food'' observes that "North Americans prefer the version ''zucchini''".<ref>{{cite book | last = Riley | first = Gillian | title = The Oxford Companion to Italian Food| date = 2009| location = Oxford| publisher = Oxford University Press|page=589| isbn = 978-0-19-538710-0}}</ref>

The first mention of the vegetable in English publications was in the early twentieth century, in English cookbooks and travel books in one of which it was referred to as "an odd kind of little squash, very tender and palatable".<ref name=oed1/>

In France, Britain and some other places zucchini are called courgettes.<ref name="lust">{{cite journal |vauthors=Lust TA, Paris HS |title=Italian horticultural and culinary records of summer squash (''Cucurbita pepo'', Cucurbitaceae) and emergence of the zucchini in 19th-century Milan |journal=Annals of Botany |volume=118 |issue=1 |pages=53–69 |date=July 2016 |pmid=27343231 |pmc=4934399 |doi=10.1093/aob/mcw080}}</ref> According to the {{lang|fr|Dictionnaire de l'Académie française}} the word is a twentieth-century coinage, deriving from the fourteenth-century {{lang|fr|courge}}, a plant of the cucurbitaceae family such as a pumpkin or marrow.<ref>{{cite web |author=<!-- not stated --> |date=2024 |title= courgette|url=https://www.dictionnaire-academie.fr/article/A9C4627 |website=Dictionnaire de l'Académie française |location=Paris |publisher=Académie française }}</ref>

Another common name for zucchini, [[marrow (vegetable)|''baby marrow'']], is used interchangeably in South Africa with ''courgette''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Baby Marrow, Courgettes, Zucchinis |url=https://www.gardeninginsouthafrica.co.za/vegetables-plant-list/baby-marrow-courgettes-zucchiniscucurbita-pepo |publisher=Gardening in South Africa |access-date=11 August 2025 |date=2025}}</ref>

==History==
Zucchini has its ancestry in the Americas, specifically [[Mesoamerica]]. The varieties of green, cylindrical squash harvested immature and typically called "zucchini" were cultivated in northern Italy, as much as three centuries after the introduction of cucurbits from the Americas. It appears that this occurred in the second half of the 19th century, although the first description of the variety under the name ''zucchini'' occurs in a work published in [[Milan]] in 1901.<ref name="Harry S. Paris-2016" />

The first records of zucchini in the United States date to the early 1920s. It was almost certainly taken to America by Italian immigrants and probably was first cultivated in the United States in California. A 1928 report on vegetables grown in New York State treats 'Zucchini' as one among 60 cultivated varieties of ''C.&nbsp;pepo''.<ref name="Hedr28">{{Cite book |last1=Hedrick |first1=U.P. |last2=Hall |first2=F.H. |last3=Hawthorn |first3=L.R. |last4=Berger |first4=Alwin |date=1928 |contribution=Part 4: The cucurbits |title=The Vegetables of New York, Vol. 1 |volume=v.1–4 |location=Albany |publisher=J.B. Lyon |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/39278584 |name-list-style=amp }}</ref>

==Culinary uses==
[[File:Crema de calabacín - Krista.jpg|thumb|Zucchini soup]]
[[File:Grilled zucchini.jpg|thumb|Grilled zucchini]]
[[File:Zucchini Cake (4804574268).jpg|thumb|Zucchini bread]]
When used for food, zucchini are usually picked when under {{convert|20|cm|in|0|abbr=on}} in length, when the seeds are still soft and immature.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Chosen Bites: Zucchini blossoms |url=https://www.jpost.com/food-index/chosen-bites-zucchini-blossoms |access-date=April 4, 2023 |website=[[The Jerusalem Post]] |date=June 16, 2011 |language=en-US |issn=0792-822X}}</ref> Mature zucchini can be {{convert|1|m|in|-1|abbr=on}} long or more. These larger ones often have mature seeds and hard skins, requiring peeling and seeding. Zucchini with the flowers attached are a sign of a truly fresh and immature fruit, and are especially sought after for their sweeter flavor.<ref name="oneill">{{cite web|last=O'Neill|first=Molly|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/08/15/magazine/food-how-to-stuff-a-wild-zucchini.html?pagewanted=all |work=The New York Times Magazine|title=Food; How to Stuff a Wild Zucchini|date=August 15, 1999|access-date=September 15, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|title=Preliminary Evaluation of a Yellow Zucchini Squash (''Cucurbita pepo'' L.) Variety for the Fresh Market and for Use as a Frozen Vegetable|url=https://www.bahamas.gov.bs/wps/wcm/connect/7da0ed72-60fe-491d-9b72-60b30d67ee41/Evaluation+of+Yellow+Zucchini+%2811%29.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CONVERT_TO=url&CACHEID=7da0ed72-60fe-491d-9b72-60b30d67ee41|last=Richardson|first=Kenneth VA|journal=Gladstone Road Agricultural Centre Crop Research Report|issue=11|date=November 2012|pages=1–6}}</ref>

Zucchini are usually served cooked.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |last2= |last3= |first3= |last4= |date=August 25, 2022 |title=What Is Zucchini? |url=https://www.tasteofhome.com/article/what-is-zucchini/ |access-date=April 4, 2023 |website=Taste of Home |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Difference Between Cucumber And Zucchini |url=https://www.southernliving.com/food/side-dishes/vegetables/difference-between-zucchini-and-cucumber |access-date=April 4, 2023 |website=Southern Living |language=en}}</ref> They can be prepared using a variety of cooking techniques, including steamed, boiled, grilled, [[stuffed zucchini|stuffed]] and baked, barbecued, fried, or incorporated in other recipes such as [[soufflé]]s. Raw grated zucchini can also be combined with flour and spices in a zucchini bread.<ref>{{cite web|author=Zucchini Bread Chefs|title=Zucchini Bread Recipes|work=Zucchini Bread Recipe Book|url=http://zucchinibreadrecipes.org/|access-date=October 19, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Sudakov |first=Monika |date=February 21, 2023 |title=23 Unexpected Ways To Cook With Zucchini |url=https://www.thedailymeal.com/1206273/unexpected-ways-to-cook-with-zucchini/ |access-date=April 4, 2023 |website=The Daily Meal |language=en-US}}</ref> 

Zucchini have a delicate flavor and can be found simply cooked with butter or [[olive oil]] and herbs, or in more complex dishes.<ref>{{cite book|title=Edible Flowers|author=Kathy Brown|publisher=Anness Publishing Ltd|year=2003}}</ref> The skin is usually left in place. When frying zucchini, it is recommended to pat down cut sections to make them drier, similarly to what may be done with [[eggplant]], in order to keep the slices' shape while cooking.<ref>{{cite web|author=the cooking bar|title=The best way to drain zucchini before cooking|date=August 16, 2021 |url= https://thecookingbar.com/how-to-drain-zucchini-before-cooking/}}</ref> Zucchini can also be eaten raw, sliced or shredded, in a cold salad, as well as lightly cooked in hot salads, as in [[Thai cuisine|Thai]] or [[Vietnamese cuisine|Vietnamese]] recipes. Mature (larger-sized) zucchini are well-suited for cooking in breads.<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 19, 2012 |title=Kitchen Wit & Wisdom: Help is at hand for all of that zucchini - Vernon Morning Star |url=https://www.vernonmorningstar.com/life/kitchen-wit-wisdom-help-is-at-hand-for-all-of-that-zucchini/ |access-date=April 4, 2023 |website=www.vernonmorningstar.com |language=en-CA}}</ref>

Zucchini can be cut with a [[spiral vegetable slicer|spiralizer]] into noodle-like spirals and used as a low-carbohydrate substitute for pasta or noodles, often referred to as 'zoodles'.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Soggy zucchini noodles? You're probably making this common mistake|url=https://www.today.com/food/zoodles-101-how-make-cook-zucchini-noodles-t191607|access-date=May 13, 2021|website=TODAY.com|date=September 14, 2020 |language=en}}</ref>

===Europe===
====France====
Zucchini are much used in the cuisine of France, where they are known as courgettes. Among the recipes in two standard culinary works of reference – [[Louis Saulnier (writer)|Louis Saulnier]]'s ''Le répertoire de la cuisine'' and Walter Bickel's ''Hering's Dictionary of Classical and Modern Cookery'' – are:
*{{lang|fr|Courgettes au fromage}} – With cheese: filled with grated cheese mixed with beaten egg, dipped in frying batter, deep fried.<ref name=h603>{{cite book | last = Bickel | first = Walter | title = Hering's Dictionary of Classical and Modern Cookery | date = 1989 | location = London | edition = eleventh | publisher = Virtue | isbn = 978-3-8057-0307-9 |pages=603–604}}</ref>
*{{lang|fr|Courgettes à la crème}} – Creamed: simmered in butter, bound with light cream sauce.<ref name=ls>{{cite book | last = Saulnier | first = Louis | title = Le Répertoire de la Cuisine | date = 1978 | location = London | publisher = Jaeggi | oclc = 1086737491 | edition = fourteenth|page=204}}</ref>
*{{lang|fr|Courgettes à l'anglaise}} – English Style: peeled, cut in small pieces, steamed and served with melted butter or [[Hollandaise]]<ref name=ls/>
*{{lang|fr|Courgettes frites}} – Fried: peeled, cut in slices, seasoned, coated with flour and fried in oil.<ref name=h603/>
*{{lang|fr|Courgette beignets}} – Fritters: cut in slices, salted dipped in batter and deep-fried.<ref name=h603/>
*{{lang|fr|Courgettes glacées}} – Glazed: peeled, cut lengthwise in quarters, cooked with butter, salt and  pinch of sugar and a few drops of water to glaze.<ref name=h603/>
*{{lang|fr|Courgettes à la grecque}} – Greek Style: cooked in a [[marinade]] of white wine. vinegar, garlic, onions. fennel, peppercorns and dried orange peel; served cold.<ref name=h603/>
*{{lang|fr|Courgettes à la ménagère}} – Housekeeper style: hollowed out, filled with the chopped flesh mixed with hashed lamb, fried chopped onions, boiled rice and green peas, browned in a slow oven.<ref name=ls/>
*{{lang|fr|Courgettes farcies}} – Stuffed: stuffed with [[duxelles]] and [[gratin]]éed.<ref name=ls/>
*{{lang|fr|Courgettes à l'indienne}} – Indian style: sprinkled lightly with curry powder and served with a light [[Béchamel]].<ref name=h603/>
*{{lang|fr|Courgettes à la mentonnaise}} – [[Menton]] style: stuffed with the chopped flesh mixed with chopped cooked spinach, grated Parmesan, parsley and garlic and gratinéed in the oven.<ref name=h603/>
*{{lang|fr|Courgettes à la niçoise}} – [[Nice]] style: lightly cooked in oil, flesh chopped, mixed with [[risotto]],  grated [[Parmesan]], [[garlic]] tomato. concassees. Gratinéed in slow oven.<ref name=h603/>
*{{lang|fr|Courgettes à la provençale}} – [[Provence|Provençal]] style: sautéed in hot oil and served with diced tomatoes, onions, parsley and garlic, with grated Parmesan and gratinéed in a slow oven.<ref name=h603/>
*{{lang|fr|Courgettes à la sicilienne}} – Sicilian style: sliced unpeeled filled with sour cream, egg yolks, grated Parmesan and chopped chives seasoned with Cayenne pepper, dipped in egg and breadcrumbs and deep fried.<ref name=h603/>
*{{lang|fr|Courgettes à l'espagnole}} – Spanish style: peeled, cut in slices, sautéed in oil and butter, arranged in a baking dish with diced tomatoes and sliced fried onions, seasoned with [[paprika]], sprinkled with breadcrumbs, dotted with butter, and gratinated in the oven.<ref name=h603/>
*{{lang|fr|Courgettes à la turque}} – Turkish style: with the chopped flesh mixed with hashed mutton, boiled rice and eggs, flavored with garlic and marjoram; braised in oven in light tomato sauce.<ref name=h603/>

Courgettes (zucchini) are a key ingredient in [[ratatouille]], a stew of summer vegetables prepared in olive oil and cooked for an extended time over low heat. The dish, originating near present-day [[Nice]], is served as a side dish or on its own at lunch with bread.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Cloake|first1=Felicity|title=How to make perfect ratatouille|url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2010/jul/15/how-to-make-perfect-ratatouille|access-date=9 September 2016|work=The Guardian|date=15 July 2010}}</ref>
====Italy====
Italian dishes using zucchini include:
*{{lang|it|Spaghetti con salsa di zucchini}} (spaghetti with zucchini)<ref>{{cite book | last=David | first=Elizabeth | year =1989 |orig-year=1954 |edition=sixth | title=Italian Food | location=London | publisher=Penguin|page=80 | isbn=0-14-046841-2 }}</ref> 
*{{lang|it|Sformato di vitello e zucchini}} (veal and zucchini pie)<ref>{{cite book | last=David | first=Elizabeth | year =1989 |orig-year=1954 |edition=sixth | title=Italian Food | location=London | publisher=Penguin|page=189 | isbn=0-14-046841-2 }}</ref> 
*{{lang|it|Zucchini fritti}} (as for {{lang|fr|courgette beignets}}, above)<ref name=ed/>
*{{lang|it|Zucchini in agrodolce}} (in sweet-sour sauce)<ref name=ed/>
*{{lang|it|Zucchini in stufato}} (stew)<ref name=ed/>
*{{lang|it|Zucchini ripieni}} (with numerous possible stuffings – such as minced cold meat,  rice, cheese, breadcrumbs, and parsley).<ref name=ed>{{cite book | last=David | first=Elizabeth | year =1989 |orig-year=1954 |edition=sixth | title=Italian Food | location=London | publisher=Penguin|page=189, 243 | isbn=0-14-046841-2 }}</ref>
====Britain====
In Britain, zucchini (called "courgettes" there) were known in the 1930s but were rare until after the [[Second World War]]. In the 1989 revised edition of her ''[[Elizabeth David bibliography#Italian Food_(1954)|Italian Food]]'', [[Elizabeth David]] wrote, "I think it worth recording here that, when I was writing this book in 1954 ... zucchini or courgettes were rare and expensive luxuries, imported from France". By 1957 a leading nursery in [[Surrey]] initiated the cultivation of the vegetable for the British market and, in David's words, "before long they were to be found in many enterprising greengrocers’ shops [with] the general acceptance today of this attractive and versatile vegetable".<ref>{{cite book | last=David | first=Elizabeth | year =1989 |orig-year=1954 |edition=sixth | title=Italian Food | location=London | publisher=Penguin|page=242 | isbn=0-14-046841-2 }}</ref> In 2005, a poll of 2,000 people revealed the courgette to be Britain's 10th most popular culinary vegetable.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2005/may/23/britishidentity.foodanddrink|title=Onions come top for British palates|work=The Guardian|access-date=July 7, 2011|location=London|first=Martin|last=Wainwright|date=May 23, 2005}}</ref>
===Middle East and Africa===
In Egypt, zucchini may be cooked with tomato sauce, garlic, and onions.<ref name="lucas">{{cite web|last=Lucas|first=Brenda|url=http://www.herald-dispatch.com/features/x1840143509/Now-is-peak-season-for-the-low-cal-vitamin-packed-zucchini-squash?i=0|title=Now is peak season for the low-cal vitamin-packed zucchini squash|date=August 21, 2013 |publisher=Herald-Dispatch|access-date=September 15, 2013}}</ref> In [[Sephardic Jewish cuisine]], ''medias'' (from [[Judeo-Spanish]], meaning "halves") is a dish of halved zucchini stuffed with meat and a mixture of ingredients, and cooked in a sour lemon sauce.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Stuffed Zucchini - Recipe |url=https://www.foodish.org/en/recipe/stuffed-zucchini/ |access-date=August 31, 2024 |website=Foodish – by [[Anu – Museum of the Jewish People]] |language=en-US}}</ref>

[[Stuffed zucchini]] are found in many cuisines. As an example, in Lebanon, zucchini can be used to create Kousa Mahshi, which translates to "stuffed zucchini" in Arabic. The dish is made by coring the squash and then stuffing it with rice and spiced ground beef. Vegetables and other protein substitutes such as lamb may also be used. The contents of the zucchini are cooked by first boiling it and then reducing the heat of the zucchini's pot or container before letting it simmer for an hour.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lebanese Stuffed Zucchini-Kousa Mahshi |url=https://thesaltandsweet.com/lebanese-stuffed-zucchini/ |access-date=December 1, 2024 |website=Salt & Sweet |language=en}}</ref> There's also Lebanese Zucchini Stew, or Mnazelah, a stew consisting of zucchini, potatoes, tomatoes, meat, and varied spices.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lebanese Zucchini Stew-Mnazaleh |url=https://thesaltandsweet.com/lebanese-zucchini-stew-mnazaleh/|access-date=December 1, 2024 |website=Salt & Sweet |language=en}}</ref> Typical stuffings in the Middle Eastern family of [[dolma]] include rice, onions, tomato, and sometimes meat.

===Australia and the Americas===
In Australia, a popular dish is a [[frittata]]-like dish called [[zucchini slice]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Clark |first=Melissa |author-link=Melissa Clark |date=July 15, 2022 |title=Make the Most of Too Much Summer Squash With the Zucchini Slice |language=en-US |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/15/dining/zucchini-slice-recipe-australia-new-zealand.html |access-date=August 25, 2022 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

In Mexico, the flower (known as ''flor de calabaza'') is often cooked in soups or used as a filling for [[quesadilla]]s. The fruit is used in stews, soups (i.e. ''caldo de res'', ''de pollo'', or ''de pescado'', ''mole de olla'', etc.) and other preparations. The flower, as well as the fruit, is eaten often throughout Latin America.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Ramanathan|first1=Lavanya|title=Squash blossoms offer petal power|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=August 13, 2014}}</ref>
[[File:Mini zucchini slices (29103274117).jpg|thumb|Sliced zucchini for preparation of salad]]

==Nutrition==
{{nutritional value | name=Raw green ("baby") zucchini
| water=93 g
| kcal=21
| protein=2.71 g
| fat=0.4 g
| carbs=3.1 g
| fiber=1.1 g
| calcium_mg=21
| iron_mg=0.79
| magnesium_mg=33
| phosphorus_mg=93
| potassium_mg=459
| sodium_mg=3
| zinc_mg=0.83
| manganese_mg=0.196
| vitC_mg=34
| thiamin_mg=0.042
| riboflavin_mg=0.036
| niacin_mg=0.705
| pantothenic_mg=0.367
| vitB6_mg=0.142
| folate_ug=20
| vitA_ug =490
| note=[https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/168565/nutrients Link to USDA database entry]
}}

A raw zucchini is 93% water, 3% [[carbohydrate]]s, 3% [[protein (nutrient)|protein]], and contains negligible [[fat]] (table). In a reference amount of {{cvt|100|g}}, raw zucchini supplies 21 [[calorie]]s of [[food energy]], and is a rich source (20% or more of the [[Daily Value]], DV) of [[vitamin A]] (54% DV) and [[vitamin C]] (38% DV) (table). It is a moderate source of [[potassium in biology|potassium]] (15% DV), with no other [[micronutrient]]s in significant content (table).

==Toxicology==
Members of the plant family [[Cucurbitaceae]], which includes zucchini / marrows, pumpkins and cucumbers, can contain toxins called [[cucurbitacin]]s. These are [[steroid]]s which defend the plants from predators, and have a bitter taste to humans. Cultivated cucurbitaceae are bred for low levels of the toxin and are safe to eat. However, ornamental pumpkins can have high levels of cucurbitacins, and such ornamental plants can cross-fertilize edible cucurbitaceae—any such cross-fertilized seeds used by the gardener for growing food in the following season can therefore potentially produce bitter and toxic fruit. Dry weather or irregular watering can also favor the production of the toxin, which is not destroyed by cooking. Humans with an impaired sense of taste (particularly the elderly) should therefore ask another person to taste the zucchini for them.<ref>{{cite web|title=Poisonous courgette warning|url=https://www.bhaf.org.uk/content/advice/gardening-advice-a-z/poisonous-courgette-warning|access-date=June 26, 2023}}</ref><ref name="Auf den Geschmack kommt es an">{{cite web|title=Auf den Geschmack kommt es an|date=August 21, 2015 |url=http://www.sueddeutsche.de/panorama/giftige-bitterstoffe-in-gemuese-auf-den-geschmack-kommt-es-an-1.2616420|access-date=August 24, 2015}}</ref> This toxin has caused at least one death of an elderly person, in 2015.<ref name="Mann stirbt an Garten Zucchini">{{cite web|title=Mann stirbt an Garten Zucchini|date=August 20, 2015 |url=http://www.sueddeutsche.de/panorama/vergiftung-mann-stirbt-an-garten-zucchini-1.2615508|access-date=August 24, 2015}}</ref> Investigators warned that gardeners should not save their own seeds, as reversion to forms containing more [[Cucurbitacin#Deaths|poisonous cucurbitacin]] might occur.<ref name="Auf den Geschmack kommt es an" /><ref name="Mann stirbt an Garten Zucchini" />

Zucchini can also be responsible for [[allergy]] caused by the presence of a [[protein]]: [[profilin]].<ref name="ReindlAnliker2000">{{cite journal|last1=Reindl|first1=Jürgen|last2=Anliker|first2=Mark D.|last3=Karamloo|first3=Fariba|last4=Vieths|first4=Stefan|last5=Wüthrich|first5=Brunello|title=Allergy caused by ingestion of zucchini (Cucurbita pepo) : Characterization of allergens and cross-reactivity to pollen and other foods|journal=Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology|volume=106|issue=2|year=2000|pages=379–385|issn=0091-6749|doi=10.1067/mai.2000.107602|pmid=10932084|doi-access=free}}</ref>

==Cultivation==
[[File:Zucchini Plant.jpg|thumb|A young zucchini plant grown by a home gardener in the city.]] [[File:Courgette J1.JPG|thumb|upright|Harvest-ready, although not yet full-grown, zucchini on plant; the glossy skin is progressively lost after the first week following [[anthesis]].]]
Although easy to grow, zucchini, like all squash, require plentiful [[bee]]s for [[pollination]]. In areas of [[pollinator decline]] or high [[pesticide]] use, such as [[mosquito]]-spray districts, gardeners often experience fruit abortion, where the fruit begins to grow, then dries or rots. This is due to an insufficient number of pollen grains delivered to the female flower. It can be corrected by [[hand pollination]] or by increasing the bee population. In areas where ''C. pepo'' is native, the primary pollinators are [[squash bee]]s.<ref name="cane">{{cite web|last=Cane|first=Jim|url=http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/pollinator-of-the-month/squash_bees.shtml|title=Squash Bees|publisher=USDA ARS, Bee Biology & Systematics Lab, Logan, Utah|access-date=February 8, 2015}}</ref>

Closely related to zucchini are Lebanese summer squash or ''kusa'' (not to be confused with [[Cushaw Squash|cushaw]]), but they often are lighter green or even white. Some seed catalogs do not distinguish them. Various varieties of round zucchini are grown in different countries under different names, such as "Tondo di Piacenza" in Italy, "Qarabaghli" in Malta<ref>{{Cite web|title=Qarabaghli Mimli|url=https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/qarabaghli-mimli.278803|access-date=September 4, 2021|website=Times of Malta|date=October 25, 2009 |language=en-gb}}</ref> and "Ronde de Nice" in France.<ref name="seed">{{cite web|url=http://www.liseed.org/roundzucchini.html|publisher=Long Island Seed Project|title=Round Summer Squash|date=August 2, 2007}}</ref> In the late 1990s, American producers in California cultivated and began marketing round yellow and green zucchini known as "8-ball" squash (the yellow ones are sometimes known as "1-ball" or "gold ball").<ref name="pierce">{{cite news|publisher=Dallas News|url=http://www.dallasnews.com/lifestyles/food-wine/food-wine-headlines/20130604-in-season-summer-means-squash.ece|title=In season: Summer means squash|date=June 4, 2013|last=Pierce|access-date=September 15, 2013}}</ref>

===Cultivars===
* Bianco di Trieste
* Black Beauty,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://web.extension.illinois.edu/veggies/ssquash.cfm |title= Summer Squash|publisher=University of Illinois Extension  | access-date=May 17, 2020 }},</ref> very dark green
* Cocozelle, dark green with white stripes, heirloom

== Musicology ==
Vegetable orchestras, such as the [[London Vegetable Orchestra]] use zucchini trumpets, [[butternut squash]] trombones, [[pumpkin]] drums and [[Eggplant|aubergine]] castanets.<ref name="Singh-2016">{{Cite news |last=Singh |first=Maanvi |date=2016-05-27 |title=Check Out These Musicians Who Literally Play With Their Food |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/05/27/479333096/check-out-these-musicians-who-literally-play-with-their-food |access-date=2025-04-07 |work=NPR |language=en}}</ref> Other vegetables played include carrots, [[Bell pepper|bell peppers]], [[Potato|potatoes]] and [[Parsnip|parsnips]].<ref name="in-cyprus.philenews.com-2025">{{Cite web |date=2025-04-07 |title=Britain’s King Charles joins vegetable orchestra in humorous Windsor Castle musical event |url=https://in-cyprus.philenews.com/international/britains-king-charles-joins-vegetable-orchestra-in-humorous-windsor-castle-musical-event/ |access-date=2025-04-07 |website=in-cyprus.philenews.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Aehobak]] (Korean zucchini)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Cookbook}}
{{Commons|Cucurbita}}
* [https://allrecipe.org/zucchini-muffins-recipe/ Zucchini Muffins Recipe], ''AllRecipe''
* [http://green-change.com/2009/05/20/hand-pollinating-zucchini-flowers/ Method for hand pollinating zucchini], ''Green Change''

{{Squashes and pumpkins}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Crops originating from Europe]]
[[Category:Fruit vegetables]]
[[Category:Squashes and pumpkins]]