Ugu (fluted pumpkin leaf)
Telfairia occidentalis · Leafy green
Top 10 pairings
Ugu is the dark-green leaf of the fluted pumpkin (Telfairia occidentalis), a tropical climbing vine of the gourd family grown across West Africa, above all in south-eastern Nigeria. The tender shoots and leaves are one of the most important leafy vegetables of Nigerian cooking, simmered into soups and stews, while the large seeds are eaten as a protein- and oil-rich pulse.
Picking a good onedrag
Dark green, tips soft, petioles snap wetYellow and limp, slimy at the tie
Market freshEveryday bestThe standard bundle: shred and wilt into egusi, edikang ikong or ugu-and-waterleaf soup. Cooked through, not raw.
The leafletsEven green, the blades relaxed and softer, veins still standing proud
Shoot tips and petiolesTips opened out flat, petioles snap but the break face is drying
The liftStands a moment, then the leaves fold over slowly
Smell at the cut endsGreen and mild, the earthy depth nearly gone