Ugu (fluted pumpkin leaf)

Telfairia occidentalis · Leafy green

40 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 freshThe standard bundle: shred and wilt into egusi, edikang ikong or ugu-and-waterleaf soup. Cooked through, not raw.Everyday best

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

What to look for, from dark green, tips soft, petioles snap wet to yellow and limp, slimy at the tie.

Preparing