Gem squash — also called little gem, rolet or, in South Africa, simply gem — is a very small, round, tennis-ball-sized squash of Cucurbita pepo with a smooth, hard, dark bottle-green rind. A Southern African staple, it is most often cooked whole or halved: boiled or baked until the shell yields, then split to reveal a hollow seed cavity ringed by pale, creamy-white to faintly greenish flesh that is mild, delicate and lightly sweet. The classic treatment is to halve a cooked gem, scoop out the seeds and fill the little cup with butter and a pinch of sugar, or with creamed sweetcorn.