Types Of Buttercup Squash

Let’s talk about buttercup squash, the vegetable that looks like it got hit on the head with a frying pan and decided to make it a lifestyle. If you’ve ever seen a squat, dark green pumpkin with a weird little gray button on its bottom, that’s a buttercup. It’s the squash that refuses to be elegant, and I love it for that.

First, a reality check: buttercup squash is not the same as butternut squash. Butternut is the tall, sleek influencer of the squash world; buttercup is the chunky, awkward cousin who shows up to Thanksgiving in a sweater with holes. Got that? Good. Now let’s dive into the chaos of its varieties.

The Classic: ‘Burgess’ Buttercup

The original buttercup, the ‘Burgess’ variety, looks like a green astronaut helmet with a tiny gray nipple on the bottom. That little button is called a “turret”—yes, like a castle defense tower—and it’s the squash’s signature birthmark. It’s dense, sweet, and so dry that if you roast it wrong, you might choke like a cartoon character on a chalky biscuit.

Pro tip: always butter it aggressively. This squash is a butter sponge. Do not be shy with the butter or you’ll regret it.

The Hidden Gem: ‘Sweet Mama’

Oh, ‘Sweet Mama’ sounds like a lovely old lady who bakes cookies, right? Wrong. This variety is a sugar bomb with a skin so tough you could use it as a hockey puck. It’s actually sweeter than most other winter squashes, with a flavor that screams “I’m basically a dessert, but I’ll pretend to be dinner.”

Peeling one is a test of your willpower. I’ve seen grown adults weep. Just roast it in halves and scoop out the orange gold. Your future self will thank you.

The Tiny Terror: ‘Bon Bon’

‘Bon Bon’ is the baby buttercup—small, cute, and utterly deceptive. It’s marketed as “personal size,” but that’s a lie. It’s smaller than your fist, yet somehow contains the caloric density of a small engine. One ‘Bon Bon’ feeds exactly one very hungry person or two people who are lying about being full.

Common Types of Squash—From Acorn to Zucchini

The flesh is so creamy it’s almost unfair. It makes regular mashed potatoes look like sad, beige betrayal. Use it for soup or just eat it with a spoon while standing over the sink—no judgment.

The Show-Off: ‘Sunshine’

‘Sunshine’ is buttercup’s rebellious child who dyed its hair orange. It’s actually bright orange on the outside, not green, like a pumpkin that forgot to be seasonal. People will ask, “Is that a pumpkin?” You will say, “No, it’s a buttercup squash,” and they will look at you like you’re speaking ancient Greek.

Surprisingly, ‘Sunshine’ has a thinner skin, making it the only buttercup you can theoretically peel without calling a therapist. It tastes like a carrot had a baby with a sweet potato, and then that baby won the squash lottery.

The Rogue: ‘Kabocha’ (But Yes, It Counts)

Here’s a curveball: Kabocha squash is basically a Japanese buttercup. It’s the same dense, sweet, fleshy monster, just with a slightly different hat. If you buy a Kabocha at an Asian grocery store, you’re getting a buttercup cousin. The skin is usually green with stripes, like a soccer ball designed by a farmer.

Kabocha Vs Buttercup Squash

Crazy fact: Kabocha is so rich in beta-carotene that if you eat it every day for a week, your skin might turn slightly orange. I’m not joking. It’s called carotenemia, and it’s harmless, but you will look like a very confused Oompa Loompa. Eat responsibly.

The Underdog: ‘Autumn Cup’

‘Autumn Cup’ is the buttercup that nobody talks about, probably because it looks like a normal pumpkin that got stepped on. It’s flatter than other buttercups, like a pancake with a stem. The flesh is just as sweet, but because it’s less common, you’ll feel like a squash hipster when you buy one.

“I only grow heirloom varieties,” you’ll say, while secretly Googling how to cook it. It’s fine. We’ve all been there.

Surprising Facts to Impress Your Friends

First, buttercup squash is not actually a squash. It’s a winter squash, which means it’s technically a fruit, because it has seeds. So you can legally call it a fruit and watch people argue with you. That’s fun. Second, it stores for months—like, months. You can buy one in October and it’ll still be fine in January, assuming your basement isn’t a swamp.

Winter Squash Puree - Health Starts in the Kitchen | Winter squash

Finally, here’s the kicker: buttercup squash is one of the sweetest squashes known to humanity, with sugar levels that rival some apples. That’s why it’s perfect for pies. But no matter how sweet it is, do not eat it raw. It’s rock-hard and tastes like disappointment. Trust me—I tried it so you don’t have to.

How to Actually Cook the Beast

Listen, I’m not here to write a recipe, but I’ll give you the cheat code: cut it in half with a sharp knife (or a small chainsaw, I don’t judge), scoop out the seeds, drizzle with oil and salt, roast cut-side down at 400°F for about 40 minutes. Then flip it, add butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon, and roast another 10 minutes.

Voilà. You have a dish that tastes like autumn’s hug. The skin is technically edible (especially on ‘Sunshine’ and ‘Kabocha’), but for many buttercup varieties, the skin is like eating cardboard. Ask yourself: are you a tough guy? If yes, eat it. If no, scoop the flesh and be happy.

So there you have it—the wild, wonderful world of buttercup squash varieties. Whether you’re team green helmet, orange imposter, or Japanese import, remember this: they all taste like a warm, buttery hug from a slightly deformed vegetable. Go forth and roast.