This item
Angled Luffa
- Long green body
- Prominent lengthwise ridges
- Near star-shaped cut surface with pale flesh
Vegetables
Angled Luffa
A long green Hong Kong market gourd with prominent lengthwise ridges.
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3 identity clues
- Long green body
- Prominent lengthwise ridges
- Near star-shaped cut surface with pale flesh
Names in other languages
- 繁體中文
- 絲瓜
- English
- Angled Luffa
- Bahasa Indonesia
- Oyong / Gambas (絲瓜)
- Tagalog
- Patola / Angled Luffa (絲瓜)
Name in Cantonese (Jyutping): si1 gwaa1 No Cantonese voice on this device
What is it?
Angled luffa is the official Hong Kong market English name for 絲瓜; it is commonly called oyong in Indonesian and patola in Tagalog.
How to identify it
Look for a long green body, raised ridges from end to end and a near star-shaped cross-section. Length alone is not enough.
Common confusion
Compare
Hairy Gourd
- Long cylindrical shape with rounded ends
- Skin normally feels finely fuzzy
- Pale flesh with soft immature seeds
Compare
Wax Gourd (Winter Melon)
- Usually larger and heavier than hairy gourd or angled luffa
- Mature skin often has pale waxy bloom
- Thick white flesh around a central seed cavity
How to identify it
Use the ridges to separate it from wax gourd, which is heavier and often waxy, and shorter hairy gourd.
Common Hong Kong household uses
Commonly stir-fried, added to soup or braised.
Choosing & preparing
Wash under running water, trim hard ridges and rough skin, then cut; remove hard mature seeds and fibres.
Storage
Keep dry and unwashed in the refrigerator crisper and use soon.
Helper tip
Angled luffa has raised ridges; hairy gourd and wax gourd do not have the same long hard ridges.
What Ma’am or Sir may say
買兩條嫩絲瓜，返嚟削走硬邊。The employer wants two tender angled luffas with the hard ridges trimmed at home.
Useful market phrase
唔該要兩條嫩絲瓜。Meaning: Two tender Angled Luffa, please.
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