h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Kabocha squash is a $NZ100 million dollar (US50m) export crop in New Zealand.

It is, mainly, grown on the sunnier east coasts of both main islands.

Harvested, often by Fijian Indians who come to NZ especially to do so, it is then exported to Japan.

How about that? Who knew. Not me, that's for sure. Obviously in the interest of a worldwide guide this entry could use a bit of rewriting. We get just a little bit of farm-grown kabocha in the US.

However I'm pleased to say that our own crop last year turned out some fine squash, and we're saving seed to plant again in the spring.

Does it actually taste good (be honest now) or does it just look pretty like any other squash,pumpkin I've ever come across? I think they're great in the garden but pretty much a waste of space in the kitchen unless you smother them with spices.

In NZ we usually feed squash to cows or export it to the Japanese who apparently enjoy it. Some more discerning kiwis use squash to make soup.

Pumpkin Soup
Spicy, Savory, Just Right for an Autumn Evening

By Emeril Lagasse
ABCNEWS.com

Ingredients:

4 pounds fresh pumpkin flesh, peeled, seeded, chopped
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups chopped yellow onions
3 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
2 teaspoons sugar
8 cups of chicken broth
2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

Method:
1. Put the chopped pumpkin in a large saucepan, cover with water, and add 1 teaspoon of the salt. Bring to a boil and cook until fork tender, about 15 minutes.

2. Drain, let cool, and mash. You should have about 4 cups.

3. In a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium high heat. Add the onions, bay leaves, the remaining 1 teaspoon salt, the white pepper and sugar.

4. Cook, stirring, until the onions are soft and lightly golden, about 10 minutes.

5. Add the chicken broth, pumpkin puree, and peanut butter. Stir to mix. Bring to a boil.

6. Reduce heat to medium and cook, uncovered, until it coats a spoon, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

7. Stir in the cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Remove and discard the bay leaves and serve hot soup in soup bowls

Sounds good. I will try it, but you've proved my point - it's got a lot of flavouring added,