Kabocha Korokke Recipe – Japanese Pumpkin Croquette – FOOD is Four Letter Word (2024)

FAQs

Is kabocha the same as Japanese pumpkin? ›

Kabocha (/kəˈboʊtʃə/; from Japanese カボチャ, 南瓜) is a type of winter squash, a Japanese variety of the species Cucurbita maxima. It is also called kabocha squash or Japanese pumpkin in North America. In Japan, "kabocha" may refer to either this squash, to the Western pumpkin, or indeed to other squashes.

Kabocha squash has dark green skin and an orange interior with a fluffy, chestnut-like texture. Its sweet flavor might remind you of sweet potatoes or the sort of sugar pumpkins you bake into pumpkin pie. The exterior may have faint stripes or bumps, and there are some orange-skinned kabocha as well.

Kabocha squash, also known as Japanese pumpkin, has a thin but firm green skin and bright vivid orange flesh. Amongst the many squash varieties, kabocha probably tastes the sweetest. Its rich texture and flavor are akin to a sweet potato and a pumpkin combined.

Pumpkin (Kabocha: かぼちゃ)

Kabocha is similar in size and taste to buttercup types of hard squash without the characteristic bump on the bottom. Kabocha has a very hard, dark green rind and yellow to bright orange flesh. The flavor is very sweet, tasting like a cross between sweet potato and pumpkin.

Most people eat them for their flavor, but their texture and dry flesh make them ideal for cooking in stews and curries. If you want to eat them raw, you can dice or grate them into a salad for a nutty, sweet crunch and their bright orange color.

If you eat an excessive amount of kabocha squash, or any yellow or orange fruit or vegetable containing beta carotene, you can develop carotenemia. This is a condition that can cause your skin to appear yellowish or orange. It's harmless, and the cure is simply to cut back on the carotene-containing foods.

The kabocha squash is also referred to as the Japanese pumpkin. Naturally sweeter than butternut squash, the bright yellow flesh of the kabocha is denser than traditional pumpkins—a cross between a sweet potato and a pumpkin, if you will.

Buttercup squash is a lot like kabocha with a belly button — but generally a little larger, a little moister, and not as nuanced in terms of flavor. These qualities allow buttercups to pair nicely with other flavors and textures, such as apples, grains, nuts, and cheeses.

Kabocha is smaller than a western pumpkin with dry, dense flesh that when cooked produces a dry, dense starchy block, not unlike a baked potato. Pumpkin on the other hand is moist and spongy on the inside, and becomes a buttery liquid when cooked.

What is a substitute for kabocha squash? ›

Substitutes For Kabocha

Depending on the recipe, you can use sweet potato, acorn squash, or butternut squash to substitute for kabocha. Likewise, you can switch it for recipes that call for other varieties of squashes. Wish to learn more about Japanese cooking?