Buenos Aires – Face it, you’re stuck learning Spanish vocabulary with me. The Zapallito Redondo is a “summer squash”, i.e., zucchini, but in globe shape. It’s native to the southern part of South America. You can find “regular” zucchini, but they’re not near as common. The redondo is a bit more dense and a touch sweeter. When cut open, as you can see, it has a fascinating shamrock pattern to the flesh and seeds.
The Zapallito Redondo can be used pretty much in any way that other zucchini or summer squashes can. One of the simplest recipes is Milanesas de Zapallito. Milanesas are very common in Argentinian cuisines – most meats, even fish, are commonly made this way. It’s based on a classic Italian milanese, essentially lightly breaded and pan-fried. It differs somewhat in that it’s typically served nude, i.e., with no sauces or condiments. Also, like much of the food here, they tend to be cooked until it’s difficult to tell that the meat was once part of a living organism.
My take on Milanesas de Zapallito is quite easy to prepare. Slice the squash into rounds roughly 1/4″ thick. Beat an egg or two in a bowl. Mix plain bread crumbs with salt, white pepper, and what is locally called provensal, which is a readily available and very commonly used (here) blend of dried garlic and parsley. Dip the rounds into the egg, then into the crumbs. Sauté in a blend of olive oil and butter. Drain and eat while hot!
Opened up a bottle of Viñas de Balbo Torrontés, no vintage listed on the bottle. Dry, crisp, with flavors of fresh pears, light citrus, and a touch of wildflowers. I’m assuming that Viñas de Balbo is related in some manner to the famous Susana Balbo wines, though I’ve been unable to access their website. Torrontés, by the way, is a white grape that has become “the” white grape of Argentina. A small amount is also grown in Chile, but its origins are, like many wine grapes, in Europe. In particular, Torrontés was one of the original Madeira grapes, though most of the plantings were lost in a volcano explosion many moons ago.
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One of the vegetables I most miss whenever I leave BsAs is the zapallito redondo. I prefer it to zuchinni and squash. When I’m broiling a steak on the bottom part of the typical gas oven here, I always include a few halved zapallitos and potatoes drizzled with a bit of oil, salt, black pepper and provensal in the upper (main) part of the oven. The veggies bake while the steak broils. It’s simple and really quite tasty.
I want to buy seems of zapallitos redondos
yo quiero compra las semillas de los zapallitos redondos
I guess it would depend where you live – the seeds are certainly available here in Buenos Aires at various plant stores – or, of course, within the zapallitos redondos themselves. If you’re not located here, you might try a resource like Jim Johnson at Seedman.
This delectable, little squash has found its way to Conyers and Smyrna (both suburbs of Atlanta), GA via my stepmother who was born in Uruguay. She regularly returns to S.A. to visit friends and family in both Uruguay and Argentina. Longing to eat her favorite squash back home in the US, she brought some seeds with her. The squash grow well here. Since my friends in Smyrna have planted many plants, I am sure that their popularity in this region will grow as they share them with their friends and relatives.
Graciela, If you didn’t find any seeds, we can send you some.
Sabina, Tell your stepmom that my mom and I live in Marietta, GA and we too plant the zapallitos. My mom bought seeds in Argentina last time we were there. We used to live in Uruguay as well. Luckily we are able to buy Yerba Mate in the US. If your stepmom wants to get together for garden talk or to drink some mate, send me an email madd03@hotmail.com
We too can send Graciela some zapallito seeds.
Seeds for the zapallitos, where can I get them, please. Thanks.
I suppose that depends where you live, to begin with, but honestly, I have no idea. Here, I’d just buy one and take the seeds out of it. You might try something as simple as a google search for where you live – I did one without a geographical location on “globe zucchini seeds” and it popped up with over 65,000 hits…
I wanted to buy the seeds for the zapallitos. Can you help me, please? Thank you
Monique – see my comment in response to the same request a couple above….
HI I am a native from Argentina and now live in Boston, MA I have brought back zapallito seeds with me and are happy to say that last year we ate zappalitos rellenos, tortillas de zapallitos, and all other great delicous recipies that i have come up with. I also found in my local garden shop some “eight ball” italian squash that are “similar to the argentine variety, but are really a round zucchini…..you can alswys try them out.
Burpee also has 2-3 varieties of ROUND zucchini squash.
Hope it helps!
GRACIELA: Las semillas de zapallitos las traje de Bs.As.Vivo en N.Y. y los planto hace tres anos con gran exito.La fecha del plantio mejor es a mediados de Mayo.No abandones la idea de saborearlos ,son deliciosos y te ayudaran cuando anores nuestros pagos. Suerte.
No doubt”zapallitos criollos” are the tastiest , all foreigners who happened to taste them become crazy with them.
The best and most famous recipe “zapallitos rellenos”, “stuffed zapallito” you can fill them with their own fill adding onions , cheese, bread imbedded in milk and white sauce on top, or you can fill them with whatever you like…they will always be delicious.
I live in Houston, Texas and would like to know where I can but zapallitos.
If you guys want to buy seeds for these zapallitos, this web site sells them: http://newworldcrops.com/wp/shop/squash/
They are the crops that are being grown in Argentina and were developed by the INTA. The full name is “Zapallito Redondo de Tronco Pilar”. If you want a full description of the seeds look here (it’s in spanish):
http://www.guasch.com.ar/variedadesCaractN.php?idVariedad=182&idSolapa=27&Nivel=SubDivisiones&pos=24
I want to clarify that I am in no way affiliated to any of these web sites or companies, I just love these zapallitos and wanted to share the information with you. Enjoy!!!
Lola, Thanks for that – I know quite a few people from outside of Argentina have asked about the seeds since I wrote that post.
Happy to help
traje semillas de la Argentina y las plante aqui en el Cape dan flores pero no zapallitos.
Gracias Juliana Stamatis
Hola juliana stamatis los zapallitos tienen flores hembra y flores macho si los insectos no los fecundan las flores hembras que tienen los zapallitos se secan. Lo que tenes que hacer es fecundar las flores hembras introduciendo un pincel en las flores machos y despues introducirlo en las flores hembra, así lograrás la fecundación. Suerte
Hola,yo tambien plante semillas de Argentina y tuve muchas flores, pero no zapallitos, aca lei que uno las puede fecundar pero como se’ cual es la flor hembra y cual es la macho? te agracesco de antemano tu ayuda. Mi zona es New Jersey tendria que plantar a mediados de Mayo. Gracias Beatriz
hola, quiciera consegir, semillas de zapallitos,es por salud,muchas gracias , no se como hacer.
Si querés para crecerlos, vas a una tienda que vende semillas para jardines; si para comerlos, vas a una dietetica, casí siempre tienen.
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