Angled Luffa

APPEARANCE: Identify this vegetable — a melon, in fact — by its prominent, longitudinal ridges and exceptional length. Individuals usually measure 1 to 2 inches in diameter, 1 to 2 feet in length.

QUALITY: Select young ones, which will be dark green in color, thin, resilient, and preferably long. To test resilience, grasp a prospective purchase by the stem end, lift, and waft gently. If young it will bounce slightly; if old it will be as stiff as a broom handle. Stiffness is not itself a problem; it is the bitterness associated with old age that you want to avoid.