Zucchini

Zucchini (Cucurbita pepo)

Zucchini (in Hebrew “קישוא”, also known as courgette) is a “transparent” vegetable — 17 calories per 100 grams, 95% water, and a mild flavor that takes on whatever surrounds it. That is exactly why it is one of the most useful vegetables in the kitchen: it adds volume, texture and moisture with almost no calories, and fits into almost anything.

This page also has a safety warning worth knowing, one most people have never heard: bitter zucchini should be thrown away, not eaten.

Nutrition facts per 100 grams (fresh, with skin)

Zucchini belongs to the gourd family, together with cucumber, pumpkin and watermelon. Unlike pumpkin, it is picked half-ripe — before the skin hardens and the seeds develop — which is why it is low in carotenoids and sugars.

Bitter zucchini — the warning nobody talks about

Plants of the gourd family naturally produce compounds called cucurbitacins, whose job is to repel pests. In cultivated varieties they have been bred out almost completely — but not always:

• Back-crossing with wild or ornamental varieties (for example, when growing from seeds saved from the previous crop) can bring the gene back.
• Growing stress — severe drought, extreme temperatures or irregular watering — can raise the concentration.

The result is a very bitter vegetable, in a way you can’t miss. High amounts of cucurbitacins cause nausea, vomiting and acute diarrhea, and severe cases have been described. The phenomenon is rare and almost always concentrated in home-grown zucchini or ones grown from saved seeds.

The rule is simple and clear-cut: a zucchini (or cucumber, or pumpkin) that tastes especially bitter — spit it out and throw it away. No cooking neutralizes it, and the bitterness is not “a matter of taste.”

How much oil zucchini really absorbs

Zucchini has a porous structure full of water. When you heat it, the water evaporates and the cavities open up — and if there is oil in the pan, it goes in. To a lesser degree than eggplant, but significantly:

The conclusion: “I ate zucchini” and “I ate fried zucchini” are two completely different things. The low-calorie vegetable turns into a serving of fat.

Benefits

• Especially low energy density: 17 calories per 100 grams. Adding it to a dish increases volume and weight while adding almost no energy — an effective tool for weight control.
• Vitamin C: 20% of the daily value per 100 grams, a respectable figure for such a low-calorie vegetable.
• Potassium: 261 mg — contributes to sodium balance and blood pressure regulation.
• Easy to digest: low in coarse fiber and fermentable compounds, so it suits post-surgery diets, active bowel disease and people with irritable bowel. Zucchini is considered low FODMAP in normal servings.
• High water content: 95% — contributes to hydration, especially in summer.
• Culinary flexibility: eaten raw, grated, roasted, stuffed, in soups and in sweet baking.

Downsides and considerations

• Low nutrient density. Apart from vitamin C, zucchini is not a significant source of anything. It fills rather than nourishes — so it is no substitute for dark green or colorful vegetables.
• Low fiber: only one gram per 100 grams, less than broccoli, cabbage or okra.
• Absorbs oil — as described above.
• Bitter zucchini — as described above.
• Wateriness in cooking. Zucchini releases a large amount of water, which makes stews and baked goods too soft. The fix: salting and squeezing (see below).
• Sprayed skin. The skin is eaten with the vegetable rather than peeled, so thorough washing matters more than with a vegetable you peel.

Practical use

• Don’t peel it. Most of the vitamins and the color are in the skin, and it is soft and completely edible.
• Roast, don’t fry. An oven at 220°C (425°F) with a teaspoon of olive oil per 100 grams — it browns, concentrates the flavor and keeps the calories low.
• Salt before using it in batter: grated zucchini for a cake or an omelet — sprinkle with salt, wait 15 minutes and squeeze by hand or in a cloth. It removes a cup of water for every two zucchini and prevents a soggy result.
• Zucchini noodles (“zoodles”) that don’t turn watery: spiralize, salt for 10 minutes, dry, and toss in a very hot pan for only 60-90 seconds. Cooking longer will turn them to mush.
• Choose small and firm. A zucchini 15-20 cm long. Too large means more water, developed seeds and a spongy texture.
• Stuffed zucchini — pay attention to the filling: a filling of rice and meat in an oily sauce doubles the calories of the dish, and it is no longer “a vegetable dish.”
• Zucchini flowers are edible and a delicacy — lightly fried or stuffed with cheese.

Summary

Zucchini is a workhorse vegetable: 17 calories per 100 grams, 95% water, decent vitamin C, and zero demands. It adds volume to the plate, is easy to digest, low FODMAP and suitable for almost everyone. But make no mistake — it fills rather than nourishes, and it is no substitute for colorful vegetables. Two things are worth remembering: it absorbs oil and can jump from 17 to 180 calories in a frying pan, and bitter zucchini should be thrown away — that is not a quirk of taste but a sign of cucurbitacins.