Inca Cucumber - Caigua - Slipper Gourd

Caigua / Slipper Gourd (Cyclanthera pedata) – 5 seeds
Delivery time: 5–7 working days

Caigua, also known as Slipper Gourd or Kaywa, is an ancient Andean crop native to Peru and Bolivia. It is easy to grow, fast-growing, and thrives best as a climbing plant on trellises or netting.

The small fruits are similar in size to olives when young and can be eaten raw in salads, pickled or cooked as a vegetable. If you let them grow further, they become as large as small cucumbers and can then be stuffed and gratinated – a versatile and exciting ingredient in both cold and hot dishes.

Caigua also has a long tradition as a medicinal plant in the Inca Empire and was used for ceremonial and healing purposes.

Latin name: Cyclanthera pedata
Origin: Peru, Bolivia
Number of seeds: Approximately 5 pcs
Fruit: Green, hollow, olive-sized to cucumber-sized
Taste: Mild, crunchy, slightly cucumber-like
Use: Salad, pickling, stuffing, wok
Type: Open pollinated
Growth habit: Climbing, winding
Height: Up to 2–3 meters
Sun position: Full sun
Sowing depth: 1–2 cm
Germination temperature: 20–25 °C
Plant distance: 40–50 cm
Row spacing: 60 cm

Cultivation advice:
Pre-cultivate indoors in spring or directly outdoors when the soil is warm. Provide the plant with a support to climb on, such as a trellis, fence or netting. Harvest the young fruits when they are 3–5 cm long for a mild flavor. Larger fruits can be used for stuffing and cooking. Caigua thrives best in well-drained soil with even moisture.

An exciting, easy-to-grow and nutritious plant with both historical and culinary significance – perfect for those who want to try something unusual in their grow box.