Round Zucchini from France

This French round zucchini (courgette ronde) offers tender, pale green flesh with a delicate, slightly sweet flavor—milder than common elongated varieties. The small, baseball-sized fruit has a thin, edible skin that darkens to deep green when ripe. The texture is firm yet juicy when young, becoming spongy and seed-filled if overgrown. A summer squash with subtle notes of melon and fresh grass.

Grown primarily in Provence and the Loire Valley, round zucchini are a heirloom French variety prized for stuffing. Harvested at golf-ball to tennis-ball size (5–8 cm diameter), they are picked young before seeds develop. Unlike their cylindrical cousins, these naturally spherical squashes grow on bushy plants and are hand-harvested twice weekly during peak summer. A farmer’s market gem often sold with the blossom still attached.

Stuff and roast whole—hollow out, fill with herbed goat cheese, rice, or minced meat, then bake at 180°C for 20 minutes. Also sauté sliced with garlic and thyme, grill halved, or shave raw into salads. Pair with Provençal rosé or light red like Beaujolais. A showstopping vegetable for summer entertaining—beautiful, versatile, and purely French.