Fun Facts
- A zucchini is also commonly called a courgette.
- If you are brave enough, the flower of the zucchini plant is also edible.
- The smaller to medium sized zucchinis have the best flavour – not the biggest.
- A zucchini contains more potassium than a banana.
- Even though it is usually served as a vegetable, zucchini is in fact as fruit. This is because it comes from a flower.
Where do we come from?
Zucchini were first grown in Italy, and so the name zucchini comes from the Italian word for squash ‘zucca’. Today it has many different names in different parts of the world, including marrow, baby marrow and courgette. Spain currently grows the most zucchini, followed by New Zealand, Mexico, Morocco, Holland and Turkey.
Test yourself! Can you locate all of these countries on the map?
We are good for you!
Like all fruits a vegetables, zucchini is low in sodium, calories and fats and it contains a lot of dietary fibre. However, zucchini is especially good for you because …
- It is a good source of vitamin C, which is good for your skin, bones and blood,
- It is a good source of vitamin B6, which allows the body to use and store energy from protein and carbohydrates in food.
Grow your own at home!
Zucchini is a really easy plant to grow at home. You get a very large plant with very little effort! The latest time to plant your seeds in June time, just follow these steps:
- Plant 2 seeds in a pot containing compost. Push each seed in vertically.
- Keep the plants well watered on a window-sill.
- Remove the weakest plant.
- After 4 weeks plant them out into the garden with about a metre between plants.
- Make sure you keep watering your plants.
- Harvest when the fruit is about 10 cm long. This should be roughly 10 weeks after you plant your seeds. The zucchini should keep growing until September time!
Get Cooking! Ratatouille
Not all children like zucchini, so cooking them in a tomato sauce like a ratatouille can be a really good way to enjoy them!