Sweet dumpling squash

Sweet dumpling — also called sweet dumpling squash or vegetable gourd — is a small, squat, single-serving winter squash of Cucurbita pepo, no bigger than a large apple and instantly known by its ivory-to-cream skin marbled and striped dark green down its shallow ribs. Its rind is thin and edible once cooked, so the whole fruit is usually treated as an individual portion — the top cut off, the seeds scooped out and the hollowed shell stuffed and baked, or the fruit simply halved and roasted. Inside is pale orange-yellow flesh that is notably sweet and starchy, tender and fine-grained, tasting of sweet potato and corn.