• Other name: courgette
• Family: Cucurbita pepo
• Origin: America
• Variety: Zucchini comes in yellow, green or light green color and generally has a similar shape to a ridged cucumber, though a few cultivars are available that produce round or bottle-shaped fruit.
• Availability: Zucchini are available year round.
• Culinary uses: Zucchini can be eaten raw, sliced or shredded in a cold salad, as well as hot and barely cooked in hot salads.

Zucchini is a small summer squash that is similar in shape to a ridged cucumber. Zucchini is a fruit but it is usually treated as vegetable because it is more often included in cooked dishes. When used for food, zucchini are usually picked when under 8in/20cm in length and the seeds are soft and immature. Mature zucchini can be as much as three feet long, but are often fibrous and not appetizing to eat.

Nutritional Content: per 135g

• Vitamin C: 11 mg
• Protein: 1.4g
• Carbohydrates: 3.6g
• Fiber: 1.5g
• Total fat: 0.17g

Health Benefits:

• Zucchini contain Vitamin C and lutein which promotes eye health.
• Zucchini has low calories which is good for people who want to lose weight. One zucchini has just 25 calories or approximately 15 calories per 100g.
• Zucchini helps to cure asthma as it contains Vitamin C.
• Zucchini helps to prevent diseases, like scurvy, bruising etc, caused by the deficiency of Vitamin C.
• Zucchini when taken regularly can effectively lowers high homocysteine levels.
• Zucchini also prevents the risk of having multiple sclerosis (MS).
• Zucchini's high water content is perfect for people on diet.
• Zucchini contains good amounts of folate, potassium, and vitamin A important for good health.
• Zucchini can help protect against colon cancer.

Buying Tips:

• Choose small, immature zucchini for the sweetest taste. Zucchini with the flowers attached are a sign of a truly fresh and immature fruit.
• Choose zucchini that are firm, slender, smooth and with a bright color skin.

Storage Tips:

• Store unwashed zucchini in perforated plastic bags in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator; wash zucchini just before preparation.
• Zucchini fruit should be stored not longer than three days because they are prone to chilling damage which is expressed as sunken pits in the surface of the fruit especially when brought up to room temperature after cool storage.

Cooking Tips:

• Zucchini is composed of 95% water, when they are cooked or grilled, they exude moisture, so salt them and allow them to drain any excess water before cooking.
• When eating zucchini, you should also avoid removing the skin because it contains the nutrient beta-carotene, a vitamin that acts as an antioxidant thus protecting cells against oxidation damage.