Kabocha Squash: What The Hell It Is And How To Eat It

Move over, pumpkin. The kabocha squash may look like it was dispensed from a dinosaur's ass, but it's really quite delicious, healthy and versatile.

What. Is. This.

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Is it a fossilized watermelon? The breast of a mature ogress?

Oh! It's a kabocha squash.

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Commonly referred to as a Japanese pumpkin, this delectable veggie (pronounced kah-bow-cha) is rich in beta carotene, high in vitamin C and has fewer calories than its beloved relative, the butternut squash.

You needn't be alarmed by it's funky exterior.

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Kabocha has a thick skin that's kind of tough to cut through, but the effort is worth the elbow grease. Plus -- believe it or not -- the outside is edible and jam-packed with fiber -- which can help keep you full.

Grab a sharp knife and get hackin'.

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First cut the pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds.

Halt.

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Before you trash these slimy innards, consider roasting them.

And actually, why don't you just let Uncle Tony show you how it's done?

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Dude makes slicing and dicing this monster a feasible feat.

Or, if you're kitchen utensil averse, just shove the whole thing into the oven.

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Yeah! You can actually do this. Just wash that squash and bake at 400 for 50 to 60 minutes. Slicing this heffer in half will cut down your baking time, but if you've got an hour, go for it.

OK. Now you're ready to decide exactly HOW to chow down.

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The power is in your hands. Or oven. Or stove. Or pot. (This is chile roasted kabocha squash, ya hurd?)

Steam it.

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Stuff it.

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Make. Pancakes.

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Roast it with a balsamic glaze.

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Force the once relevant bread bowl to run for its life.

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Whip up a damn risotto.

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Puree it, why don't you?

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It's time to get down with this bad boy squash.

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And maybe never judge a vegetable by it's cover again.