CALABASH

Native people in the Amazon call this large green fruit "Huingo" (scientific name: Crescentia cujete). It is inedible but very useful and widely grown. From the size of a plum to a watermelon, the fruit may be harvested. It is then halved and dried out to make an impermeable container good for a cup or bowl. Carvers like to make intricate designs on the outside (see carved calabash and parrots on gourd).