35 Summer and Winter Squash Varieties

What Are All the Different Types of Squash — And How Do You Cook Each One?

There are two main categories of squash: summer squash, harvested young with thin edible skin (like zucchini, patty pan, and crookneck), and winter squash, harvested mature with a hard rind for long-term storage (like butternut, acorn, and spaghetti squash). Both groups fall under the genus Cucurbita, and pumpkins are technically squash too. Each variety has a distinct flavor, texture, and ideal cooking method.

If your squash experience starts and ends with zucchini and butternut, you’re missing a genuinely exciting range of flavors, colors, and textures. Here are 35 squash varieties — summer, winter, and one that blurs the line between both — along with how to make the most of each one in the kitchen.

Why Explore Different Squash Varieties?

Dramatically different flavors — From the chestnut-like red kuri to the maple-sweet carnival squash to the pasta-replacing spaghetti squash, each variety brings something genuinely distinct to a dish.
Outstanding plant-based nutrition — Squash across both categories is rich in fiber, vitamins A and C, potassium, and antioxidants, with winter varieties often providing particularly impressive beta-carotene content.
Something for every season — Summer squash thrives from June through August; winter varieties carry you through fall and deep into the cold months.
Incredibly versatile in the kitchen — Bake, roast, steam, grill, stuff, spiralize, soup — squash does it all.

Types of Summer Squash

Summer squash is harvested before fully mature, resulting in tender flesh, thin edible skin, and a mild flavor. Almost all summer varieties belong to the species Cucurbita pepo and are best used fresh rather than stored long-term.

Cousa

Very similar to zucchini but with a more bulbous bud end and light green skin with pale striations. Cousa has a sweeter flavor than standard zucchini and very thin, tender skin. Popular in Syrian and Lebanese cuisine, it works beautifully stuffed, grilled, or used in any recipe that calls for zucchini.

Crookneck

A yellow summer squash instantly recognizable by its curved neck — smooth or bumpy skin depending on the variety. The velvety flesh has a mild flavor similar to zucchini and works equally well in soups, pasta, stir-fry, or sliced and grilled with oil and spices.

Cuarzo

A light green, slightly grayish zucchini variety prized for its high disease tolerance and long production window in the garden. In the kitchen it’s essentially interchangeable with traditional zucchini and can substitute seamlessly in any recipe.

Eight Ball

A nearly perfectly round summer squash hybrid about the size of a billiard ball — the smaller the squash, the sweeter and more tender the white flesh inside. Their compact round shape makes them ideal for hollowing out and stuffing before baking.

Fortune

An early-maturing yellow squash with pale butter-colored skin. In the kitchen it performs almost identically to straightneck squash. In the garden it’s impressively hardy and productive, making it a favorite for home growers who want a reliable, high-yielding plant.

Green Eggs

A hybrid squash with deep green skin and a shape somewhere between a fat zucchini and an egg — perfectly sized for slicing and grilling. It delivers the versatile, mild flavor of zucchini in a more compact shape, and grows on bushy vines that are less spiny than most squash plants.

Gold Rush

A zucchini variety with deep yellow skin and a waxy sheen — distinct from yellow summer squash because it has a dark green stem like traditional zucchini. The white flesh has a mild flavor that’s excellent eaten raw, steamed, or grilled.

Chayote

One of the most genetically distinct entries on this list, chayote (also called mirliton) is an ancient squash species cultivated by Mesoamericans. More closely related to gourds than true squash, it has edible flesh that cooks up similar to traditional summer squash. The raw flesh is quite firm, but cooking transforms it into something mild and approachable.

Patty Pan

A summer squash with a flattened, flying-saucer shape and distinctive scalloped edges — named for the specialty mold used to make patty cakes. Available in white, green, and yellow, patty pans have a slightly sweet flavor that intensifies when picked very young. Excellent sautéed, roasted, or stuffed.

Papaya Pear

A small summer squash shaped like a tropical papaya or pear with bright yellow skin, sometimes flecked with green. The flavor is mildly sweet and similar to standard summer squash. The pear-like shape makes it ideal for slicing into rounds for grilling or eating raw on sandwiches.

Straightneck

The most popular variety of yellow summer squash in American cooking. Similar to crookneck but with a more upright posture, smooth yellow skin (sometimes cream-striped), and a consistently mild, slightly sweet flavor. It’s a true kitchen workhorse — soups, stir-fries, pasta, kabobs, and almost any savory dish benefit from it.

Tatume

One of the most unique entries on this list because it can be harvested as either summer or winter squash depending on maturity. Immature tatume is about the size of a baseball, light green, and denser and more flavorful than typical yellow squash. Fully grown, it reaches the size of a soccer ball with dark green or green-gold skin and is perfect for baking. Note that it’s notorious for taking over garden space.

Tromboncino

An elongated, curving Italian heirloom variety that looks like something out of a storybook. Typically harvested around 10 inches for the best flavor, when left on the vine it can reach 3 feet and develops a nutty, pumpkiny flavor similar to a winter squash. Young tromboncino is used just like green zucchini in any recipe.

Zucchini

The most familiar summer squash of all — long, green, mild, and endlessly versatile. Used in stir-fries, pastas, baked goods, soups, and as a low-carb noodle substitute when spiralized. Known internationally as courgette (UK and France) and baby marrow (South Africa). One of the easiest vegetables to grow in a home garden.

Zephyr

A visually striking two-tone hybrid — yellow on top, pale green on the bottom — with an unusual lineage: a cross between crookneck squash and an acorn/delicata hybrid. Despite having winter squash in its family tree, zephyr is fully a summer squash. The flavor is slightly sweet, somewhat nutty, and finishes with a unique grassy aftertaste that sets it apart from other summer varieties.

Types of Winter Squash

Winter squash is harvested at full maturity, resulting in a hard protective rind, dense flesh, and a much longer storage life. Winter varieties come from multiple Cucurbita species and tend to grow on long, rambling vines.

Acorn

Named for its acorn-like shape and easily identified by deep longitudinal ridges running down its dark green surface. The yellow-orange flesh is delicious baked, used in soups, or scraped out and steamed. Acorn squash is packed with antioxidants and fiber, making it one of the more nutritionally impressive winter varieties.

Bonbon

A specialized variety very similar to buttercup squash but with even sweeter flesh — hence the name. The bonbon plant is notably compact and sets fruit quickly, making it an excellent choice for home gardeners with limited space who want a high-yield winter squash.

Buttercup

Similar in shape to acorn squash but without the distinctive ridges. Dark green skin with pale green strips and rich yellow-orange flesh that is sweeter than most winter squash with a wonderfully creamy texture. Excellent baked, mashed, or pureed into soups.

Butternut

One of the most popular winter squashes worldwide. Pinkish-orange skin, elongated shape with two distinct sections — a solid flesh end and a seed-filled bulb end. The flavor is nutty and pumpkiny, and the flesh is versatile enough for soups, baking, steaming, and roasting. Loaded with vitamins A and C, potassium, and magnesium.

Carnival

A hybrid between acorn squash and sweet dumpling squash, combining the best of both. The skin has a festive orange, green, and cream pattern similar to sweet dumpling but in a larger package. The orange flesh has a distinctive sweet maple syrup flavor that makes it excellent roasted or baked with minimal seasoning.

Carving Pumpkins

Field pumpkins bred specifically for their large size, thin skin, and stringy flesh — all qualities that make them ideal for carving. Unlike sugar pumpkins, carving varieties have lower sugar content and less flavorful flesh, though they are technically edible. Hundreds of varieties exist across two different cucurbit species. Curious about whether pumpkin is a fruit or a vegetable? The answer is more interesting than you’d expect.

Cheese Pumpkin

A specialty heirloom variety most closely related to butternut squash, first cultivated on Long Island in the 1860s. The pale pinkish rind and flattened, wheel-like shape resemble a round of cheese — hence the name. The sweet, dense flesh is perfect for baking, making into pies, and steaming.

Delicata

A personal favorite and one of the most distinctive-looking winter squashes: small, cylindrical, yellow-white skin with dark green stripes. The rind is thinner than most winter squash and becomes edible after baking, which eliminates the peeling step entirely. The flesh is exceptionally sweet and flavorful — somewhere between pumpkin pie and sweet corn — earning it the nickname “sweet potato squash.”

Honey Bear

An ultra-sweet acorn variety bred specifically to be halved, baked, and served as a single-portion half-shell. Each half is a perfect serving size for a side dish. For gardeners, it’s also one of the easier acorn varieties to grow — dense plants, high yield, and strong tolerance to powdery mildew.

Honeynut

Looks like a miniature butternut squash but packs an even sweeter flavor into that smaller package. The deep orange flesh is bursting with vitamins and minerals. Perfect for baking whole and serving as a single portion — no cutting required for individual servings.

Hubbard

Large, bumpy, plump, and visually imposing — Hubbard squash has a distinctly dramatic appearance, typically in pale blue but also found in pale orange and green. The bright orange interior tells a different story: sweet flesh that tastes like a cross between pumpkin and sweet potato. Excellent for soups, pies, and baking.

Kabocha

Also known as Japanese squash or Japanese pumpkin, kabocha is a staple of Japanese cuisine — most famously fried in tempura batter. It has a wonderful velvety texture and sweet, rich flavor and looks very similar to buttercup squash inside and out. Underappreciated in Western cooking, it deserves a much wider audience.

Pink Banana Jumbo

The largest of all non-pumpkin squash varieties — these can easily exceed 50 pounds. The pale pink to pinkish-orange skin surrounds tender flesh similar in taste to butternut or acorn squash. One of these giants provides enough squash for weeks of soups, purees, and baked dishes.

Red Kuri

A rounded winter squash with a distinctive pointed top and striking reddish-orange skin. The bright orange flesh has a chestnut-like flavor that makes it unusually versatile — it works just as well in sweet desserts and muffins as it does in savory soups and curries.

Spaghetti Squash

One of the most popular winter squash varieties thanks to a genuinely unique characteristic: when cooked, the flesh separates into long strands that closely resemble pasta. Ivory, yellow, or orange on the outside, with deeper-colored varieties containing more beta-carotene. Use as a simple buttered side dish or as a low-carb substitute for spaghetti with your favorite sauce.

Sugar Pumpkin

Also called pie pumpkin or sweet pumpkin, the sugar pumpkin is the variety used for baking and cooking — not carving. Smaller, denser, and sweeter than field pumpkins, with flesh that works beautifully with both dessert spices (try it in a fruit dip) and savory ones (like in this Creamy Pumpkin Soup).

Sunshine Kabocha

A kabocha variety with a distinctive pink-orange rind and perfectly round shape. The bright orange flesh is sweet, smooth, and excellent for baking, mashing, and making into pies. A more visually striking alternative to standard kabocha with essentially the same flavor profile.

Sweet Dumpling

A smaller variety of acorn squash — roughly half the size — with ribbed fruit, showy yellow, cream, and green skin, and exceptionally sweet, tender orange flesh. The compact size makes each one perfect for halving and baking as an individual serving without any leftovers.

Turban

One of the most visually distinctive squash varieties, the turban gets its name from a strange double-growth pattern that creates a rounded top section sitting atop the main body. Brilliantly colored and often used as a Thanksgiving decoration — but also genuinely delicious in soups, curries, and baked with oil and spices. The flesh is dry, nutty, and sweet.

Yokohama

Named for the Japanese port that was one of the first opened to American travelers, Yokohama has a pumpkin-like shape with grey, bumpy, ridged skin that makes it one of the more unusual-looking entries on this list. Inside, the flavor is familiar and comforting — used the same way as any typical winter squash. Don’t let the exterior deter you.

What Qualifies as a Squash?

Squash comes from plants in the genus Cucurbita, but only five species within that genus produce edible, fleshy fruit — those are what we consider squash. Gourds from the same genus don’t qualify because their flesh isn’t edible; they’re used for decoration and tool-making instead. Pumpkins, despite their own special designation, are botanically squash because they do have edible flesh. The summer vs. winter distinction comes down to when they’re harvested and how long they store: summer squash is picked immature with thin skin for immediate use; winter squash is harvested mature with a hard rind designed for months of storage.

Favorite Plant-Based Squash Recipes

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup — Try honeynut squash for extra sweetness, or pink banana jumbo for impressive depth.
Vegan Stuffed Zucchini Boats — Swap zucchini for cousa, eight ball, or delicata squash for a fresh take.
Vegan Pumpkin Chili — Use freshly roasted sugar pumpkin or hubbard squash puree instead of canned.
Easy Vegan Marinara — Swap standard zucchini for tatume or zephyr squash to elevate the flavor.
Fall Harvest Salad with Maple Vinaigrette — Wonderful with roasted butternut, acorn, or delicata.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between summer squash and winter squash?
Summer squash is harvested while still immature, resulting in thin edible skin, tender flesh, and a short shelf life of about 1–2 weeks. Winter squash is harvested at full maturity with a hard protective rind that allows it to be stored at room temperature for months. The distinction is about harvest timing and storage life, not the season in which you eat them — you can enjoy winter squash all year long.

Which squash is the sweetest?
Among summer squash, cousa and patty pan are notably sweeter than standard zucchini. Among winter varieties, delicata (nicknamed “sweet potato squash”), honeynut, carnival, and bonbon are consistently considered the sweetest. Sweet dumpling squash is also exceptionally sweet for its small size, with flesh that tastes like a cross between sweet potato and corn.

Can you eat the skin of squash?
For summer squash — yes, always. The thin skin of zucchini, patty pan, crookneck, and other summer varieties is fully edible and often left on in cooking. For winter squash, it depends on the variety. Delicata has an unusually thin rind that becomes edible when baked. Most other winter squash have thick, tough rinds that are peeled before eating, though they can be roasted until soft enough to eat in some preparations.

What is the best squash for soups?
Butternut squash is the most widely used for soups because of its smooth texture, mild sweetness, and easy peeling. Kabocha, hubbard, and red kuri are also excellent choices that bring deeper, more complex flavors. Honeynut produces an intensely rich, sweet soup from a smaller squash. For a truly impressive depth of flavor, try roasting the squash before blending — it makes a noticeable difference in any pureed squash soup.

Did you find this helpful? Tag @CleanGreenSimple or use #CleanGreenSimple to share your squash creations!

Author
Recent Posts

Sara Seitz

I'm a professional freelance writer with decades of experience learning about and living a green, clean life.

I grew up in Colorado under the influence of three generations of knowledgeable women who knew their way around the garden. I graduated from Colorado State University with a bachelor of science in biology and a minor in English. A year before graduation, my life was upended by an unexpected diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes.

Facing the reality of living with an incurable autoimmune disease I left to reflect hard on my lifestyle. While this type of diabetes cannot be cured or treated with diet, I was certain that focusing on my health and fueling my body with clean food would help better manage the condition. As a lifelong animal lover, it wasn’t difficult for me to transition fully to a vegan diet.
When I'm not constructing articles for clients, you can find me wrist-deep in dirt in my vegetable garden, hiking with my dogs, or back in front of the computer creating imaginative worlds in my quest to become a published fiction writer.

[email protected]