Elizabeth Schneider

Turk’s Turban or Turk’s Cap

Cucurbita maxima

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top 1000Vegetables from Amaranth to Zucchini
Vegetables from Amaranth to Zucchini

By Elizabeth Schneider

Published 2001

  • About

Turk’s Turban or Turk’s Cap (Cucurbita maxima) is an old variety (it was introduced as the American Turban in 1869 but had been sold in the United States long before then) best known as a decorative item. But is it edible? Yes. Is it good? It can be, but fair is more likely. Certainly it is worth the effort to purchase it minus shellac or wax so that you can cook up the yellow, moist, mild flesh to enrich stews, soups, and sauces.

The problem is its sturdy turtle shell. The heirloom gardener and cook William Woys Weaver addresses the problem this way: “The reason it keeps so well is its hard, woody rind, which is very difficult to remove. The simplest way to cook this squash is to cut it in half, scrape out the seeds, and place the halves in glass bowls with about ½ cup of water. Cover the bowls with cling wrap and cook in a microwave oven on high for 15 minutes. The flesh will scoop out like mashed potatoes and can be used as a thickener for soups, especially for split-pea soups.”