Little-known but full of surprises, halfway between a pumpkin and a zucchini, flavorful and with a distinctive shape: the pattypan squash is an ancient variety that has recently come back into circulation and deserves to be discovered for its delicate flavor, rich nutritional profile, and high culinary versatility. That’s why this unique vegetable deserves to be better known and used more widely.
Its name may not mean anything to you, but we’re sure you’ve seen it before and remember it, because its shape is hard to miss: the pattypan squash (also known as patisson) is a particular variety of summer squash, a hybrid born in France in the 19th century from a cross between a pumpkin and a yellow zucchini. For this very reason, it has a truly unique shape: small and round yet flattened, almost resembling a sort of flying saucer or a baking dish (it’s no coincidence that the name “patisson” comes from a Provençal term meaning a dessert prepared with a corrugated mold) and with a completely corrugated skin that can be white, yellow, orange, or green.
Beyond its charming appearance, the pattypan squash has many other qualities, first and foremost its sweet, delicate flavor, as well as its great versatility in the kitchen and a rich, highly interesting and beneficial nutritional profile. In short, the pattypan squash is a beautiful and delicious squash, comparable to other more well-known varieties: here’s a guide to learning about and appreciating it.
What is a Pattypan Squash?
The pattypan squash belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family, just like pumpkins and cucumbers. It’s an annual plant (meaning it completes its life cycle in a single season) characterized by large, lobed leaves and yellow flowers with particularly recognizable fruits. Our squash or pumpkin has a small, round, disc-like shape with pointed, flattened ends. This particular shape, once dried, allows the squash/courgette to be used as an ornamental because of its beauty.
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Beyond its aesthetic beauty, however, the pattypan squash has many other strengths. The fruit of this plant is native to Central and South America, and is a tasty culinary treasure that can enrich your dishes from May to October, the period in which it grows and ripens. Grown anywhere in the world with a warm, sunny climate, the pattypan squash is also highly prized for its rich nutritional profile, making it an ideal food for your health.
There are several other varieties of pattypan squash, but the most common are two: the white pattypan squash, with its pure white color and smooth shape, characterized by a sweetish flavor similar to that of zucchini but with a crunchier texture, and the yellow pattypan, with its vibrant yellow-orange color, which has a slightly more intense flavor and a slightly denser texture. All the “single-color” pattypan squashes derive from hybridization achieved in the 19th century in France, but there are also older varieties such as the white one variegated with green (the Patisson vert panache de blanche), already cultivated by Native Americans on the Atlantic coasts.
Pattypan’s Properties and Benefits
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