Here in Asia the luffa are mostly eaten rather than becoming bathroom accessories. For the bathroom kind of thingies we use another kind of gourd or melon I think which is commomly referred to as "old cucumber". It can be eaten too and is usually used fro making soup. After 3 attempts in a period of more than 2½years I finally managed to get my first luffa. Luffa ( photo / image / picture from KK Ng's Garden ) My wife cooked it and it was delicious. First the hard skin have to be removed by using a scrapper. Skin it!! ( photo / image / picture from KK Ng's Garden ) Then cut it into half and slice it into about ½in pieces. Slice it ( photo / image / picture from KK Ng's Garden ) Beat up an egg and heat up the wok, a frying pan will do if you don't have a wok. Beat up an egg ( photo / image / picture from KK Ng's Garden ) Add in a little oil or butter and dump the cut luffa into the wok or pan and stir fry till the texture is to your liking. Stir fry ( photo / image / picture from KK Ng's Garden ) Add in the beaten egg. Add egg ( photo / image / picture from KK Ng's Garden ) Continue to stir fry until egg is cook and add salt to taste. Stir fry again ( photo / image / picture from KK Ng's Garden ) Wa-lah!! Shall we eat? Wa-lah!!! Yummie!! Yummie!! ( photo / image / picture from KK Ng's Garden ) Bon appetit
Thanks for posting this. I've grown Luffa in the past but not this year. I've grown it for kitchen and bathroom accessories. I love those things. They grow like crazy here in the Arizona desert. I still have a big bag of them. I never bothered to cut open a young one to see the texture. I always put mine out in early summer and let them go until they dried on the vine. Then, I'd crack one for seeds and soak the rest to pull off the peel and dry them for cleaning dishes and my feet after working in the garden. I always planted them along a fence. Boy did they attract the bumble bees. I knew you could eat the young ones. I remember reading that in the catalog. But, I had no idea of how to go about preparing them. I made some notes and put them on a recipe card. The luffa stir fry looks like something I might like. If I put a little sausage in it, my husband would try it too. I should use the last of my luffa's this year and have to plant more next summer. I like to cook and I like to try new foods. For anyone who hasn't grown luffa. They really are great for dishes and garden-dirty feet and knees. They last a long time--several weeks.
Very interesting post,KK. I have never seen luffa grown here in MD... and I didn't know they could be eaten! I am curious -- is their taste similar to anything more familiar?
Pricklypear, you are welcome. Yes I believe with some sausages in it will make it real yummie!! Some shrimps would be nice too!! Sorry Frank I am not sure if you can get it from the eateries in K.L. You can buy the luffa from the supermart and try cooking it yourself Daisybeans the only way I can describe the taste is that it is pleasant, nothing strong but just pleasant. Try it if you can get some young luffas.
