1.
pumpkin, squash, kabocha
A type of winter squash widely used in Japanese cooking. Refers to the Japanese variety (kabocha squash) with dark green skin and sweet orange flesh.
Also written as 南瓜. The word comes from カンボジア (Cambodia), as the vegetable was introduced through Southeast Asian trade.
Common collocations
- かぼちゃの煮物: simmered pumpkin (classic home cooking)
- かぼちゃの天ぷら: pumpkin tempura
- かぼちゃスープ: pumpkin soup
- かぼちゃサラダ: pumpkin salad
Cultural note
Eating かぼちゃ on the 冬至 (winter solstice) is a traditional custom believed to ward off colds. A summer vegetable that keeps until winter, it was a source of nutrition in the cold season; it is also eaten for luck because its other name, なんきん, contains ん twice.