Manjiro Squash
Estimated Inventory, lb : 0
Description/Taste
Manjiro squashes vary in size, depending on growing conditions, but generally average around twenty-seven centimeters in length and 1.4 to 2 kilograms in weight. The squashes have an oblong appearance with blunt to tapered, curved ends and a rounded middle. The variety’s skin is semi-thin, tough, smooth, and taut, featuring small bumps beneath the surface. The skin is also dark green and covered in pale green mottling and spots. As the squashes ripen, these pale spots may become more yellow, and the base of the stem, known as the “seat,” becomes woody and dry. Underneath the skin, the bright orange flesh is thick, hard, and moist when raw, encasing a central cavity filled with stringy fibers and tear-drop-shaped cream-colored seeds. The variety is known for its high moisture content. Once cooked, Manjiro squash becomes tender, dense, sticky, and creamy. It is important to note that the variety is traditionally stored for two months after harvest to develop an ideal flavor profile. During this time, the high-water content in the flesh condenses and the sugar content intensifies. Manjiro squashes are edible cooked and release a sweet and vegetal aroma. The variety has a high sugar content, reaching 20 to 24 degrees Brix, creating a sweet, rich, and nutty taste reminiscent of chestnuts.
Seasons/Availability
Manjiro squashes are harvested in the fall and winter, typically between late September through November. Once harvested, they are left in storage for two months to develop their signature taste before being sold in commercial markets. Manjiro squashes can be found in retail settings from November through January.
Current Facts
Manjiro squashes, botanically a part of the Cucurbita genus, are a hybrid variety belonging to the Cucurbitaceae family. The late-season squashes were developed in Japan in the late 20th century and were selected for commercial production for their extended storage properties, productivity, and disease resistance. Manjiro squashes can be grown without the use of pesticides, even in challenging cultivation conditions, and it is said one plant has the capacity to produce 70 to 100 squashes. The vines are also fast-growing, sometimes extending over one meter in a single day. In Japan, Manjiro squashes are also known as Manjiro pumpkins and were intentionally created to meet market demands for a culinary squash with a longer shelf life. In the modern day, Manjiro squash is a specialty cultivar sold through select retailers in Japan. The variety is purchased for culinary purposes and is utilized for its sticky texture in a wide array of sweet and savory preparations.
Nutritional Value
Manjiro squashes have not been extensively studied for their nutritional properties. Some sources mention the variety is a source of vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta-carotene. Vitamin C has been said to help strengthen the immune system, while vitamin E can guard the cells against the damage caused by free radicals. Beta-carotene is a type of carotenoid, a pigment that gives the squashes their orange coloring. Carotenoids are believed to have antioxidant properties to protect the overall health of the body and reduce inflammation. Culinary squash varieties, in general, may provide fiber to regulate the digestive tract, calcium to support bones and teeth, iron to develop the protein hemoglobin for oxygen transport through the bloodstream, and zinc to help the body fight off various sicknesses.
Applications
Manjiro squashes have a sweet, nutty, and rich flavoring suited for cooked preparations. The variety is known for having a sticky consistency once cooked and is favored for its ability to be used in a wide array of sweet and savory dishes. It is recommended to microwave the squash for 1 to 2 minutes before cutting and then trimming and peeling in a shape according to recipe needs. The squash is popularly utilized in soups, stews, and curries or it is cooked into roasts and quiche. Manjiro squash can be cut into pieces and fried into tempura, thinly sliced and stir-fried into kinpira, a side dish of cooked vegetables, or simmered and served as a simple accompaniment to meat. Try adding cooked Manjiro squash into various rice or pasta dishes as a sweet and nutty addition. The variety can also be roasted, stewed, fried, or baked. In Japan, Manjiro squashes are favored for sweet preparations. The squash is added to pureed sweets, puddings, pies, and cheesecakes. It can also be incorporated into bread and cream recipes. Beyond cooked dishes, Manjiro squashes are pickled for extended use. Manjiro squashes pair well carrots, chives, ginger, seaweed, kumquats, persimmons, peas, bell peppers, broccoli, lotus root, brown sugar, caramel, maple syrup, and sesame seeds. Whole, unopened Manjiro squashes will keep for several weeks to months when stored in a cool, dry, and dark location. Once cut, the slices should be stored in a container in the refrigerator.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
Manjiro squashes are named in honor of John Manjiro, a well-known Japanese navigator, interpreter, and samurai. Manjiro was from the Kochi Prefecture, the same prefecture where Manjiro squash was developed, and had to become a family leader at a young age due to his father’s early passing. At fourteen years old, Manjiro joined his first fishing crew in 1841 to catch bonito and provide income for his mother and four siblings. During this sail, the ship was caught in a storm and Manjiro and the four other crew members were shipwrecked. The crew survived the storm by swimming to an island and lived off the land for six months before they were rescued by an American whaling ship. The ship was run by Captain William H. Whitfield, and he offered the shipwrecked Japanese sailors refuge on his boat since they were unable to return to Japan due to Japan’s closed-door policy, also known as Sakoku. Manjiro ventured to the United States with Captain Whitfield, where he was taken in by the captain and given a life in Massachusetts. Over the next ten years, Manjiro learned English, was given an education, studied navigation, and worked on several ships before arranging a secret boat to transport him back to Japan. Manjiro returned to Japan when he was twenty-four years old but was interrogated for several years by various Japanese government leaders due to Sakoku. Manjiro eventually became vital to the Japanese government in 1853 when he could provide English and Japanese translations during the negotiations with Commodore Perry, an American Navy Officer commissioned by the United States to open trade ports in Japan. Around the same time, Manjiro was appointed as a samurai to the Shogunate in 1853. Later in 1860, Manjiro notably served as an interpreter for Japan’s first diplomatic sail across the Pacific Ocean. Throughout his life, Manjiro provided valuable insight into two distinct cultures and found common ground to allow the two countries to form agreements. The Kochi-created Manjiro squash variety was named after the heroic historical figure as a way to honor his legacy and achievements.
Geography/History
Manjiro squashes are native to Japan and were developed in the Kochi Prefecture in the late 20th century. The variety was created by Mr. Kunitomi Katayama, the breeder in charge of the Katayama Breeding Station. Manjiro squashes are an interspecific hybrid of Western and Eastern pumpkin varieties. The cultivar is said to be a cross between K Delicious, a western Maxima variety and the Tropic pumpkin, an eastern Moscata variety. The new hybrid squash was released in 1987 through Katayama Seedlings Co. in the Kochi Prefecture and in 1988, Mr. Katayama applied for official registration under the name Manjiro. The variety was registered in 1990, and Mr. Katayama began distributing seeds to growers to popularize the variety. Mr. Katayama passed away after the variety’s release, and his son Mr. Kunio Katayama became in charge of promoting the new pumpkins. Over time, Manjiro squashes became favored throughout the Kochi Prefecture for their extended storage properties, flavor, and texture. Mr. Kazuho Yamashita, the former director of the Tosa Nature School, also contributed to the variety’s spread across Japan. Mr. Yamashita mentioned the variety in his book “The New Iron Law of Pesticide-Free Vegetables,” leading Manjiro squashes to become well-known. Today, Manjiro squashes are sold in seedling form through Katayama Seed in the Kochi Prefecture. The variety is cultivated throughout the Kochi Prefecture and are also grown in the Kumamoto Prefecture. When in season, Manjiro squashes are sold through one market in the Kochi Prefecture and in select retailers in Tokyo, Nagoya, Chiba, and Kanagawa. The Manjiro squashes featured in the photograph above were sourced through a store in Tokyo, Japan.
