Why Loofahs?

What is a Loofah?
A loofah as it is commonly known, is a fibrous plant seed pod. The loofah plant is a cucurbit, a group of plants including gourds, pumpkins, and cucumbers. It grows as a flowering annual vine of subtropical Asian origin. The pollinated flowers grow cylindrical green fruits that eventually develop into a seed pod filled with many intertwined plant cellulose fibers. The skin is removed to reveal the "loofah" inside.
Sea sponges are part of the animal kingdom. They grow on the sea floor and filter food out of the water. The word sponge is often used to describe loofah and man made "sponges" with absorbent sea sponge properties.

Uses for Loofahs:
When mature,the fruits become a tough mass of cellulose fiber that makes a great scrubbing sponge. These natural cellulose fiber sponge wonders of the vegetable world have many uses. They'll make your skin squeaky clean or shine up your dirty dishes. Loofah are most excellent in the bath or shower. The exfoliating action leaves your skin feeling the cleanest and tightest it could possibly be. Loofah sponges are great for washing items like large pots and other containers. We use them for cleaning almost everything, including cars, boats, plastic buckets, and anything that needs scrubbed but can't withstand steel wool. Non stick cookware is one example.

The loofah flowers and fruits are soft and edible when young and are sometimes cooked and eaten like squash or okra. Loofah has been an important food source in many Asian cultures. The leaves and vines should not be eaten. When crushed, they produce a bitter compound and smell that has been known to repel insects and animals.

Eat at your own risk. Some loofah varieties may produce fruits that are too bitter to eat. Peeling the skin off removes some of the bitterness. If it tastes bad, don't eat it. The many varieties we've grown have all tasted good to us. Loofah is consumed by many people around the world, especially in Asia and Africa. Edible loofah can be found sometimes in markets with Asian style vegetables. The edible size fruits taste something like a cross between a zucchini and a cucumber. I have steamed our loofahs along with squash and they taste very simlar.

Loofah, like many plants, contains a variety of substances. Parts of the plant and seeds have been used for the medicinal properties. Powdered loofah fibers have been an ingredient in traditional Chinese herbal medicine. One study found the seeds of loofah reduced blood glucose levels in animals.