The courgette plant is native to Central America. It has a herbaceous appearance and grows in a creeping or climbing manner. The leaves are large, webbed and covered with stinging hair; their color is bright green and often have gray or white spots. Zucchini flowers are orange-yellow in color.The zucchini are harvested unripe, when they are about 20 centimeters long, preventing them from growing and ripening until they become, in fact, a pumpkin.
monounsaturated - g- Starch 0.1g
- Soluble sugars 1.3g
Romanesco courgette
Smaller and lighter in the skin, which is also more crunchy, compared to the Milan courgette, the Romanesco one is almost always eaten cooked as a tasty side dish, with eggs and as a sauce for pasta.
Florentine courgette
Similar to the Romanesco, the long Florentine courgette differs essentially in size. This striped variety can be light or dark green in color and is often harvested with the flower. The taste is very tasty. Ideal as a side dish or with eggs.
Neapolitan courgette
Compared to the Florentine and the Romanesco, the striped courgette of Naples has a cylindrical shape and is more voluminous. It is characterized by the dark striped skin on a light green background. It is the protagonist of a traditional Neapolitan dish: zucchini alla scapece
Round courgettes
There are three varieties: Emilian, Piacenza, Tuscan, Florence and Nice. Three round courgettes different from each other in texture and taste: the torno di Piacenza courgette has a dark green skin and is perfectly spherical. It is mainly prepared stuffed. The round courgette from Florence is streaked, with a light and dark green skin, while the round from Nizza stands out for its light green color and particularly sweet taste.
Trumpet courgettes
The best known in Italy come from Liguria, from the municipality of Albenga, to be precise. It is a courgette belonging to the species Cucurbita moschata. Its shape is very particular and characterizes its appearance and name: it is thin, twisted and swollen only on the final part. With a very light green skin and a very sweet flavor, it has a compact and crunchy pulp, with seeds concentrated only in the larger final part. It is prepared browned, stewed or sauteed, to accompany fish main courses or first courses.
, more than a courgette, it is an unmistakable flavor, similar to the artichoke. A little known variety of courgette in Italy, but which lends itself to being cooked stuffed or steamed.
