We’ve coined the concept of « culinary anatomy. » After all, if anatomy is, according to Wikipedia, « the science that describes the form and structure of living organisms, » why shouldn’t it apply to chefs as well?
In cooking, we carefully select our ingredients—whether meat or vegetables—cut them as needed, trim excess fat, remove nerves, peel them, and adapt our recipes accordingly.
So, let’s dissect the famous zucchini!
The shape of zucchini
The classic zucchini is long and slender, ideally turgid—that’s the official term—meaning it should look plump and well-filled.
If one end is too thin, it may indicate that the zucchini wasn’t properly pollinated.
A club-like shape could mean it has been stored for too long.
The skin
The skin is the first thing we notice. Importantly, it’s edible!
Take a close look, and you may see tiny, fine hairs. Nothing to worry about—in fact, it’s a sign of freshness.
The color
- The classic green zucchini is a beautiful dark green, speckled with tiny light green dots.
- The so-called white zucchini is a very pale green, also speckled with slightly lighter dots.
- Yellow zucchini is entirely different, with a uniform canary yellow color.
These same colors can be found in round zucchini.
One unique variety, the zephyr zucchini, is half yellow and half light green.
Other rarer shades include orange, striped, or streaked varieties.
This very wide range is a great asset in cooking, allowing you to play with colors and create visually appealing dishes.
The texture of the skin
While there are varieties with more structured or even rough skin, it’s generally smooth.
The skin is sturdy, helping the zucchini maintain its shape in many dishes—it would be risky to make stuffed zucchini without the skin!
Nutrients in the skin
The skin is rich in fiber and nutrients, particularly vitamin C, potassium, and carotene (especially in dark-skinned zucchini).
So, should you eat the skin?
Absolutely!
- Either use it along with the rest of the zucchini—in slices, chunks, stuffed, etc.
- Or, if you must peel the zucchini for soup, puree, or a uniform sauce, you can recycle the skin to make chips (check out our recipe for zucchini peel chips), which are great as an appetizer.
Latex
One surprising feature of zucchini is the sticky substance that appears when you peel it. If you don’t notice it right away, you soon will: this sticky latex will dry on your fingers, forming a difficult-to-remove film. Be careful with your clothes!
Take precautions when peeling zucchini, but rest assured that the latex is edible and even quite rich in protein.
The flesh
This is, of course, the most interesting part. Botanically, the flesh between the core and the skin is known as the pericarp.
The flesh is usually a very light green, or pale yellow in yellow and zephyr zucchini. It’s tender and juicy but firm, making it easy to cut in various ways—slices, sticks, spirals—you can even grate it.
Zucchini flesh is mostly water (about 95%). This high water content means that zucchini can become mushy if overcooked.
The core and seeds
The center of the zucchini contains seeds within the carpellary chambers. When zucchini is young (the best time to eat it!), the seeds are nearly invisible, so there’s no need to worry about them.
As zucchini grows on the plant, the seeds begin to develop. After harvest, zucchini ripens quickly, with the inner area expanding, the seeds growing and hardening, and the surrounding flesh becoming soft and spongy.
The flower
The zucchini flower is large, light green at the base, and a beautiful yellow-orange at the tip.
The flower is attached to the end of the fruit and naturally falls off as the zucchini grows.
There are female flowers, which have pistils and bear future fruit, and male flowers, which have stamens. The petals, which are quite fleshy, are edible. It’s said that female flowers are sweeter and male flowers more bitter, but the difference is subtle.
They’re traditionally used to make fritters or stuffed dishes. A simple way to use them is to chop them roughly into a salad or stir-fry, adding color and a pleasant flavor.
The ends of the zucchini
The larger end has the pistil attachment point, where the flower was attached—this part is a bit tough, so it’s best to remove it.
The smaller end has the stem, which was cut off during harvest. This stem is hard and thick, so it’s not edible.
However, it’s best to keep these two ends when cutting the zucchini lengthwise, for example, when stuffing them. Their rigidity helps the zucchini halves hold their shape.
Now, let’s get cooking!
We’ve covered everything a cook might find interesting about this versatile vegetable. Feel free to explore our recipes to discover the vast possibilities of zucchini, and check out our « know-how » section for different ways to prepare it.