Vegetables
Zucchini
ズッキーニ ずっきーに
At its best in May, Jun, Jul
When it is at its best
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
In seasonAvailable
How to cook
Sautéed
Sliced into rounds and cooked in olive oil; salt alone is enough.
Ratatouille
Stewed with other summer vegetables. A staple of southern French cooking.
Tempura
Sometimes fried with the flower attached; its blandness suits batter.
Grilled
Cut lengthways and grilled, where the char works well.
How to choose
Even thickness with glossy skin, firm in the hand, and a cut end not yet dried.
Storage
Bag and refrigerate. Sensitive to cold, so do not over-chill.
Main areas
Good to know
It looks like a cucumber but belongs to the squash family, and it is the immature fruit that is eaten. The flowers are edible too, and in Italy they are stuffed and fried. It only became common in Japan from the 1980s.
