A bottle gourd is a long, green vegetable that grows on a vine. It is usually oblong or cylindrical in shape. Its skin is thick, and hard. It can vary in texture from smooth to ridged.

The flesh of the bottle gourd is white, and it is often used in various dishes, both sweet and savory. In many cuisines and cultures; historically, and throughout the world.

Additionally, the dried shell of the bottle gourd has been often used as a utensil, container; musical instrument, and, in pieces of art.

Dating from archaeological contexts. Bottle gourds have been recovered back to nearly 10,000 years ago.

Bibliography:

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2023). Bottle gourd | plant. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/plant/bottle-gourd

A Contribution to the Prehistory of Domesticated Bottle Gourds in Asia: Rind Measurements from Jomon Japan and Neolithic Zhejiang, China on JSTOR. (n.d.). https://www.jstor.org/stable/41242867

Ahuja, S. C., Ahuja, S., & Ahuja, U. (2011). Bottle Gourd – History, Uses, and Folklore. ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/287305890_Bottle_Gourd_-_History_Uses_and_Folklore