Fluted Pumpkin (Ugu) Archives

Ugu Vegetable (Telfairia occidentalis) is a tropical vine grown in West Africa as a leaf vegetable and for its edible seeds. Common names for the plant include fluted gourd, fluted pumpkin, ugu (in the Igbo language), and ikong-ubong (in the Efik and Ibibio languages). Telfairia occidentalis is a member of the family Cucurbitaceae and is indigenous to southern Nigeria. The fluted gourd grows in many nations of West Africa, but is mainly cultivated in Igboland and Calabarland and it is used primarily in soups and herbal medicines. Although the fruit…

Fluted pumpkin (Telfairia occidentalis) popularly known as “Ugu” is one of the commonly consumed vegetables in Nigeria, especially in the eastern part of Nigeria and without knowing its health benefits, many of us eat ugu on daily basis . Telfairia occidentalis is a tropical vine grown in West Africa as a leaf vegetable and for its edible seeds. Common names for the plant include fluted gourd, fluted pumpkin, ugu (in the Igbo language), and ikong-ubong (in the Efik and Ibibio languages). T. occidentalis is a member of the family Cucurbitaceae…