Zucchetta Serpent of Sicily/Cucuzza (146-43)

A Serpent of Sicily plant ready to be set out in the garden.

Zuchetta Serpent of Sicily germinates well in warm conditions and grows extremely vigorously.

Zucchetta Serpent of Sicily/Cucuzza (146-43)

Name: Brings back memories of my childhood!
Item: Zucchetta Serpent of Sicily/Cucuzza (146-43)
Rating: 5
Author: Joe Nasello

$6.00 - $20.00

Zucchetta Serpente di Sicilia - Serpent of Sicily. Sometimes called cucuzze or gagootza. It is actually a gourd (it has white flowers rather than yellow like squash), but is grown and eaten like a summer squash. Much favored by people from Southern Italy. Fruit can grow up to three feet long, but tastes best when picked young, no more than 12 inches. Vigorous grower with long vines so leave plenty of room. Vines can easily run 25 feet; does well on a terrace or pergola. Pinch the growing tips of the vines and saute them in olive oil; they are very tasty that way.

Zucchetta is a hot weather crop, so don't plant before the soil has warmed. Because the seeds are so hard, germination can take as long as four to six weeks. To speed germination, scarify the seeds before planting: The easiest way to scarify is to rub the seeds on coarse sand paper, just enough to weaken the seed coat without damaging the interior part of the seed. Then soak the seeds for 24 hours to further soften the seed coat. Click here for more details on scarification.

Plant seeds in hills about six feet apart, four seeds per hill and thin to two or three plants. Germination of scarified seeds occurs in about 10-14 days. About 70-75 days from germination until fruiting. 6 gram packet; approximately 30-40 seeds.

Read more about Zucchetta on our blog.

Reviews (5)

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I enjoy all your squash, but the one I have the most fun with is Zuchetta Serpent of Sicily / Cucuzza. They are showy, abundant and delicious. It starts with finding a sunny spot where I can build a trellis or arbor for these aggressive climbers to grow. I don’t bother to scrape the seed shells or soak the seeds. They germinate just fine if the soil is wet and warm. I fill a good size hole with organic leaf compost and plant 3-4 seeds in each spot. When seeds germinate I train them to grow on the trellis or arbor, although they manage just fine on their own. One important and delicious element is to prune the side growing tips of the vine and sauté them in olive oil. They are delicious and keeps the vine from getting overly bushy. Otherwise, I pick most of the cucuzza when it is 12-18 inches long. My favorite preparation is sautéed with with onion, garlic and tomato sauce, and eaten with some homemade crusty bread. I do leave a couple of cucuzza on the vine, letting them grow to 3-4 feet. They become the center of attention in the neighborhood.

Posted by Pat on 17th Jul 2019

Being part-Sicilian I've always enjoyed cucuzza and a dish made by my cousins in Sicily ... tenerumi! Your seeds grow faster than any other seeds I've tried in the past ... my plants are out of control! I'm very very happy and will continue to buy from you every year! Grazie mille! davide!

Posted by davide cuccia on 23rd Jul 2017

My mother was born in Cefalu, Sicily in 1910 and immigrated to the United States through the Port of New Orleans with her parents as a small child. Growing up, I remember Mama growing huge Cucuzzas (we called them gagootzas) along the fence line at our house in Alexandria, Louisiana. My non-Italian friends used to tease me because of the shape of this delicious squash. Fully grown, it resembles a baseball bat. I'm certain the appeal to m parents was the large (think inexpensive) harvest these seeds produce. Mama was a great cook, and she prepared the gagootzas perfectly. She would peel them, cut them into cubes and saute them in olive oil, onions, garlic and tomatoes from our backyard garden. She would also add smaller chunks of Romano cheese and the tenerumis (the tentacles on the tip of the vines). I recently purchased some seeds from Seeds from Italy, and I can't wait to try and replicate my Mama's recipes. Buono appetite!

Posted by Joe Nasello on 31st Mar 2017