{"id":1328724,"date":"2019-12-04T17:09:54","date_gmt":"2019-12-04T23:09:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/?p=1328724"},"modified":"2019-12-04T17:09:54","modified_gmt":"2019-12-04T23:09:54","slug":"kabocha-squash","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/kabocha-squash\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Cook Kabocha Squash"},"content":{"rendered":"Sometimes I stare at the bin of different types of squash<\/a> at the grocery store, marveling over how beautiful each individual squash is. Then, I choose one at random to try. My recent discovery was kabocha squash, also known as a Japanese pumpkin.\r\n

What Is a Kabocha Squash?<\/h2>\r\nIt's shaped like a lumpy, dark green pumpkin and has bright yellow-orange flesh on the inside. The flavor is similar to pumpkin or butternut squash but is slightly sweeter. You can use kabocha squash much like butternut in soups and stews, baked goods and breakfast items. If the squash you have is green but looks more like an acorn squash, it may be a buttercup squash<\/a>.\r\n\r\nTo pick a good kabocha squash at the store, look for one that is firm and has a deep-colored green rind. Choosing one with faint stripes, bumps or blemishes is fine. You'll also want to find one that's heavy for its size, about 2-4 pounds.\r\n

The Health Benefits of Kabocha Squash<\/h3>\r\nThe flesh is loaded with beta carotene, vitamins and iron so it really is good for you! Plus, the skin of kabocha squash is quite thin and actually edible. (This will save you a full step of having to peel the squash before baking.) The skin is also full of fiber.\r\n

How to Cut a Kabocha Squash<\/h3>\r\nThis is the hard part! They are large and round, which means you need to be careful to avoid your knife slipping and cutting yourself. Here are some of my tips for cutting the kabocha:\r\n