BUFFALO GOURD
Common Names: Buffalo Gourd, Chilicote, Mock orange.
Scientific Name: Cucurbita foetidissima
When to Find: Summer, fall.
Where to Find: Arid lands.
Parts Used: Seeds and roots.
Note: Seeds are 30-35% protein. This is a cultivated crop in Lebanon.
Preparation: Crush seeds to extract cooking oil. Then sun dry and grind into meal for cakes. Soak roots in dilute salt solution. slice. and cook like potatoes. Use pulp of fruit for cattle feed. Soak roots in water to make washing soap.
Storage: Keep oil in airtight container. Sun dry and bag meal. Store roots in
a cool, dry place.
Identification: Fruit is hard-shelled the size of an orange. They contain pulp and flat white seeds. Plant vines are flat over the ground. Root is a very large tuber up to 15 feet long.
