Zucchini occasionally contain toxic cucurbitacins, making them extremely bitter, and causing severe gastero-enteric upsets.

[12] The feminine zucchina (plural: zucchine) is also found, and preferred by the Italian-language encyclopedia Treccani, which considers zucchino to be a Tuscan dialect word.

The varieties of green, cylindrical squash harvested immature and typically called "zucchini" were cultivated in northern Italy, as much as three centuries after the introduction of cucurbits from the Americas.

A 1928 report on vegetables grown in New York State treats 'Zucchini' as one among 60 cultivated varieties of C. pepo.

A zucchini with the flowers attached is a sign of a truly fresh and immature fruit, and it is especially sought after for its sweeter flavor.

[21][22] It can be prepared using a variety of cooking techniques, including steamed, boiled, grilled, stuffed and baked, barbecued, fried, or incorporated in other recipes such as soufflés.

Zucchini has a delicate flavor and can be found simply cooked with butter or olive oil and herbs, or in more complex dishes.

When frying zucchini, it is recommended to pat down cut sections to make them drier, similarly to what may be done with eggplant, in order to keep the slices' shape while cooking.

[29] In Bulgaria, zucchini may be fried and then served with a dip, made from yogurt, garlic, and dill.

[30] In France, zucchini is a key ingredient in ratatouille, a stew of summer vegetable-fruits and vegetables prepared in olive oil and cooked for an extended time over low heat.

In Greece, zucchini is usually fried, stewed or boiled with other fruits (often green chili peppers and eggplants).

Zucchini is also stuffed with minced meat, rice, and herbs and served with avgolemono sauce.

In several parts of Greece, the flowers of the plant are stuffed with white cheese, usually feta or mizithra, or with a mixture of rice, herbs, and occasionally minced meat.

[32] In Russia, Ukraine and other CIS countries, zucchini usually is coated in flour or semolina and then fried or baked in vegetable oil, served with sour cream.

[36] Typical stuffings in the Middle Eastern family of dolma include rice, onions, tomato, and sometimes meat.

[39] Members of the plant family Cucurbitaceae, which includes zucchini / marrows, pumpkins and cucumbers, can contain toxins called cucurbitacins.

[42] Investigators warned that gardeners should not save their own seeds, as reversion to forms containing more poisonous cucurbitacin might occur.

One good way to control overabundance is to harvest the flowers, which are an expensive delicacy in markets because of the difficulty in storing and transporting them.

Closely related to zucchini are Lebanese summer squash or kusa (not to be confused with cushaw), but they often are lighter green or even white.

Various varieties of round zucchinis are grown in different countries under different names, such as "Tondo di Piacenza" in Italy, "Qarabaghli" in Malta[44] and "Ronde de Nice" in France.

[46] White zucchini (summer squash) is sometimes seen as a mutation and can appear on the same plant as its green counterpart.