Japanese heirloom. Chestnut-sweet. Silky, rich, and unbelievably versatile.
- Season
- 2026
🍁🔥 Uchiki Red Kuri Squash Seeds
Japanese heirloom. Chestnut-sweet. Silky, rich, and unbelievably versatile.
Meet Uchiki Red Kuri, the iconic Japanese kabocha-type squash with fiery orange skin and luxuriously smooth flesh.
Thin-skinned, deeply sweet, and famously nutty — like chestnut and butternut had a gifted child who studied abroad and came back refined.
This is the squash chefs hoard.
This is the squash soups dream of becoming.
🌱 Why Grow Uchiki Red Kuri
| Feature | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Heirloom Japanese variety | Culinary pedigree, superior flavour |
| Thin edible skin | No peeling needed — praise be 🙌 |
| Dense, velvety flesh | Gourmet texture for soups & roasts |
| High productivity | Expect multiple 3–5 lb fruits per plant |
| Cold-tolerant for a squash | Great for northern gardeners |
| Cures & stores beautifully | Improves in sweetness |
Type: Cucurbita maxima (kabocha group)
Days to maturity: ~90–100 days
Fruit: ~3–5 lbs each
🍽 Flavour & Cooking Notes
Flavor profile?
Roasted chestnut + sweet potato + hazelnut butter.
Texture?
Silky, creamy, custard-soft perfection.
Best uses:
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Soup that makes restaurant soups embarrassed
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Roasted wedges with miso + maple
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Tempura (traditional + mind-altering)
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Purées, gnocchi, and velvety mash
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Dessert fillings (Japanese pumpkin cheesecake 🔥)
Skin is edible — it softens and melts into the dish.
Lazy cooks & Michelin chefs both love it.
Packet: 5 seeds per packet.
👨🌾 Growing Notes
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Start seeds indoors 3–4 weeks before last frost
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Transplant after soil warms
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Prefers rich, well-drained soil & consistent moisture
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Give room — vines want to stretch
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Cure after harvest for max sweetness
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Stores 2–4 months easily
This squash rewards patience and compost… like a toddler, but delicious.
💡 Who Will Love It
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Growers seeking top-tier flavour
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Fans of Japanese cooking & kabocha squash
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Small-space growers — high return per plant
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Chefs, foodies, CSA farmers, backyard legends
🌟 Quick Highlights
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Deeply sweet, chestnut-like flavour
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Thin edible skin — minimal prep
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Reliable, high-yielding heirloom
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Perfect for soups, roasts, baking
Think of it as the Ferrari of fall squash — classy, powerful, and built for people who care about flavour.
Cook your harvest
Use your harvest in these recipes. Check the variety notes and substitutions in each recipe.
Follow the growing notes in the description and on your seed packet. Sowing time, temperature and harvest stage depend on the variety.
See the description for this variety’s kitchen uses and the harvest stage that suits your recipe.






















