Winter Melon, Wax Gourd

This hefty beauty is a mature and dramatically different form of fuzzy gourd—so different that it deserves its own entry. “Winter” may refer to the gourd’s frosty finish (and, to my mind, the icy shine of the juicy white flesh), but not to its market season. Or “winter” may refer to the gourd’s keeping ability— as long as summer through winter. “Wax” is another way to describe the powdery bloom that develops on the skin of mature fruits.