Pumpkin; Squash

The usual pumpkin in Burma and other parts of Southeast Asia is a flattened globe with dark green skin, hard flesh, and a yellow-orange interior; its Latin name is Cucurbita moschata, and in Burmese it’s payon thi. It is used in making sweets as well as vegetable curries. The tendrils, or tender shoots (payon ywet), are used in soups and salads (see cucumber tendrils). Other pumpkin or squash can be substituted, including Japanese kabocha and Caribbean pumpkin.