Where the seeds came from
Lutfun from the farm gave me the seeds and so I said, “OK, lets try it.” She said it’s potol, but when I saw the seed I thought, “It’s not potol, it’s something else. Let’s see what happens.” When I saw the fruit growing, I thought, “Oh my god what is it, how can I eat this one?” I was scared about what the taste would be like. I didn’t have any idea what it is. The smell is a bit strong. I thought, “Let’s be brave and try it. What will happen?” One day I cooked it and it was really good.

How to grow
Growing it is easy, and it grows fast. It takes loads of space. It goes everywhere in my garden.

Recipe
I cut it into long pieces, and then put onion and garlic and a little bit of oil. After it turns brown I add the achocha. It is cooked in 5 minutes. It’s really tasty. The strong smell disappears when it’s cooked.

How to save seed
I left the achocha to dry in the garden, then I picked them and removed the seed from the fruit, and put the seed in paper.