Calabash

The calabash (Lagenaria siceraria, not to be confused with a Calabasa) is a vine-based plant that produces a fruit that resembles either a bottle, utencil, or pipe. For this reason, one of the calabash subspecies is known as the bottle gourd. The fruit has a light green smooth skin and a white flesh.

The calabash was one of the first cultivated plants in the Americas, grown not for food but as a container.

The calabash is frequently used in southern Chinese cuisine as either a stir-fry or in a soup. The Chinese name for calabash is húlú (Chinese:葫蘆) or húzi (葫子).

Calabash noodle soup

Calabash noodle soup (Chinese: 葫蘆麵 or 葫子麵) is a Chinese dish composed of cooked calabash, shredded meat, noodles, and soup. The following is a rough outline for creating the dish.

• Peel the calabash. Then cut the calabash into finger-sized strips.
• Cut the pork tenderloin meat into tiny strips. Marinate the meat with corn starch, soy sauce, and sugar.
• On a wok, stir-fry the meat untill it is slightly brown. Remove the meat from the wok.
• On the wok, stir-fry the calabash strips and garlic for a couple of minutes. Place the meat back into the wok and add soup stock, soy sauce, and water. Simmer for a couple of minutes untill the calabash strips look tender.
• Crack two eggs and pour the white and the yolk into the soup.
• Serve the soup with noodles.

Calabash is also a city in North Carolina.

Calabash - used for flotation, and to store fish in Nigeria; especially during huge Fish Festival.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/05/africa_fishing_festival/html/1.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/05/africa_fishing_festival/html/7.stm