Squashes, Winter (Pumpkins and Other Large Types): Kuri (Red) or Uchiki Kuri or Orange Hokkaido

Kuri (Red) or Uchiki Kuri or Orange Hokkaido (Cucurbita maxima) is, for some reason, the only orange kabocha-type squash that was allowed to keep its own name in the American marketplace; others are lumped under a catchall name. The British authority Joy Larkcorn writes in Oriental Vegetables, under the heading “kabocha, the Orange Hokkaido type”: “These are ‘tear drop’ or pear shaped. They have a smooth golden skin, ripening to a beautiful orange, and yellow flesh. They . . . weigh 5—10 pounds. . . . They have been developed from the famous American ‘Hubbard’ squashes, and in the United States are sometimes known as the ‘Baby Red Hubbard.’ ”