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Ash gourd

Ash gourd is a large pale-skinned gourd with mild flesh, used in soups, stews, curries, and sweets.

Ash gourd — illustrative ingredient image

About Ash gourd

Ash gourd, also called wax gourd, is a large gourd used as a vegetable in soups, stews, curries, stir-fries, braises, and steamed dishes. Its mild flesh also absorbs seasoning well and can be cooked with sugar to make sweets, candied pieces, or preserves. Young and mature fruits are used differently.

The peeled flesh is white, firm, and watery, with a delicate flavour. It becomes tender during cooking but usually holds its shape, so diced pieces remain distinct in broths and braises. Younger fruit is often firmer and less seedy, while mature fruit may require more trimming around seeds and fibrous tissue.

Ash gourd may be elongated or round, with pale green skin that develops a whitish, waxy bloom as the fruit matures. The skin, seeds, and soft central fibres are commonly removed before use. It is prepared fresh, cut into chunks or slices, and cooked until tender, or preserved in sweetened form.

Ingredient type
whole food

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Where ash gourd appears

2 linked foods

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Sides

Ingredient connections awaiting review · Coverage is still growing, including packaged snacks.

Name examples awaiting language review. Confirm the specific food or product.

Local names for ash gourd

Names and romanised forms to recognise on menus and labels.

English

Ash gourd

English

Wax gourd

Available names only. Languages may be spoken in other countries; a name alone does not identify every ingredient in a dish.

Ash gourd nutrition & diet

Ash gourd nutritional value

Gourd, ash, raw

Per 100 g of the edible portion in the stated food form.

Calories
12kcal
Protein
0.5g
Carbs
2.3g
Fat
0.1g

Reference values apply to the named food form, not every preparation, variety or brand. CoFID 2021 food code 13-248. Carbohydrate follows the dataset’s available-carbohydrate convention. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/.

Portions & preparation

Use the peeled flesh after removing seeds and fibrous centers as appropriate, and specify whether it is raw, boiled, stewed, candied, or incorporated into soup. Cooking liquid, sugar, oil, and seasoning can change the reference portion, especially in sweet or preserved preparations.

Compare the right form: Match a reference to edible peeled ash-gourd flesh, specifying seed removal, fresh or preserved form, cooking method, and drained portion.

Diet considerations

Ash gourd is plant-derived when served as the vegetable alone. Compatibility changes with meat stock, dairy, eggs, coatings, sweeteners, or other recipe additions. Plain cooked ash gourd and candied or dessert preparations have different portion-dependent carbohydrate patterns, as do soups containing grains or noodles.

AI-authored reading notes · Awaiting editorial review. Measured values, where available, have a separate source above.

Dietary compatibility

  • Vegan
    Typically compatible
  • Vegetarian
    Typically compatible
  • Pescatarian
    Typically compatible
  • Keto
    Depends on the version
  • Paleo
    Typically compatible
  • Low-carb
    Depends on the version
  • Halal
    Not established
  • Kosher
    Not established
What these diet assessments mean
Vegan · Typically compatible
The plain ingredient profile is plant, fungal or mineral based. Added ingredients in a prepared product need a separate check.
Vegetarian · Typically compatible
The plain ingredient profile is plant, fungal or mineral based. Added ingredients in a prepared product need a separate check.
Pescatarian · Typically compatible
The plain ingredient profile is plant, fungal or mineral based. Added ingredients in a prepared product need a separate check.
Keto · Depends on the version
Compatibility depends on the portion and preparation. A sourced carbohydrate amount for a defined serving is not available.
Paleo · Typically compatible
The plain form fits the conventional paleo food groups. Added ingredients and individual interpretations can differ.
Low-carb · Depends on the version
Compatibility depends on the portion and preparation. A sourced carbohydrate amount for a defined serving is not available.
Halal · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish halal status.
Kosher · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish kosher status.

For the plain ingredient · Awaiting review. Diet compatibility is not allergy suitability or halal/kosher certification. Keto and low-carb depend on the portion.

Reviewed ingredient entryIngredient reference · Preparations vary

AI-generated illustration for visual context. It does not identify a particular product or establish allergen content.

Sources & review

Nutrition reference: UK Composition of Foods Integrated Dataset (CoFID), 2021 — Gourd, ash, raw ↗. Values are scaled from 100 g of the recorded edible form. Individual portions have no assumed fixed weight.

Expanded overview, name examples and nutrition notes are database drafts awaiting editorial review. Numeric nutrition values, where shown, have their own source and food-form reference.

The ingredient description and dish connections come from the draft catalogue and may change after review.

Last recorded verification: .