Bottle gourd
Bottle gourd (lau) is a vine vegetable Bengali kitchens lean on nearly year-round — Insaf carries 5 varieties.
Bottle gourd is mostly water and very low in calories, which is why it's cooked into thin, everyday curries. Even its leaves and seeds are used in cooking, so little of the plant goes to waste.
Bottle gourd is one of the most familiar vegetables in Bengali winter cooking.
Growing it in Bangladesh
- Sowing time
- Boiragi Super is sown from May to December, Sohagi-2 can be planted year-round, and Sohagi-3, Sabana, and Greenball 77 are sown from February to November.
- Weather & soil
- Bottle gourd is a sun-loving vine that does best trained up a trellis. Waterlogged soil risks rotting the roots, so raised, well-drained beds work best.
- Care
- A trellis keeps fruit straight and off wet soil
- Hand-pollinating flowers can improve fruit set
- Regular watering and compost keep the vine productive
- Harvesting fruit while young gives the best taste and texture