Ridge Gourd

Also known as Chinese okra, perhaps because of the ridges, the ridge gourd, Luffa acutangula, is a spectacular-looking vegetable that deserves wider use outside of the Asian cuisines that know and love it. Turia has a marvelous ability to soak up the flavors of whatever it’s cooked in, yet keep its shape and texture. Young specimens don’t need to be peeled or have their ridges pared off. (And see Sponge Gourd, below, also known as turia.