A bottle gourd or calabash cucumber which is pale green on the outside, creamy, yellowish-white inside and looks like a cucumber with a bulge at one end. Only the very young gourds are used for cooking. When older they are most commonly known as calabash and develop a hard, woody shell which may be used for making bowls and musical instruments.
Sponge gourd. Smooth gourd. When it is old it becomes coarse and fibrous and is actually the loofah you use in the bath. However, it is eaten throughout Asia. It resembles a cucumber when it is young and needs to be salted to reduce the bitterness before use.
