Westerners know the loofah as a bathroom accessory, a natural sponge for scrubbing and cleaning. To the Chinese, however, it offers both food and functionality.

The loofah grows fast and in spring it is sowed as soon as the first frosts are over. Before long, its graceful tendrils wind upward, reaching to the warming sun,

By early summer, the flowers are blooming and the tiny gourds would form. It only takes about one or two weeks for the fruit to mature, so farmers need to know the exact time to harvest. Too early, and the loofah will not be sweet enough. Too late, it becomes tough and fibrous and can only be left on the vine to dry into sponges.

There are two main varieties of edible loofah grown in China.

South of the Yangtze River, the loofah has a rough skin with vertical ridges running down the fruit. This is the angled loofah, more popularly grown in the southern provinces.

Up north, a more drought-resistant loofah has lost its spines, but not its tough skin. The smoother skinned loofah is the variety grown in northern provinces.

Because it fruits in summer, the loofah has become the vegetable of the season.

In the north, it is thinly sliced and fried with scrambled eggs for an easy vegetable dish. It is cut into wedges and made into soup with a sprinkle of salted krill.

But it is in the southern provinces that the loofah, also known as silky gourd or sigua, comes into its own.

It is so beloved that it can be simply steamed with minced garlic. Very tender gourds are peeled and cut into long strips and topped with minced garlic, then steamed quickly over high heat. The result is a refreshing dish that connoisseurs swear is better than meat.

In Chaoshan, loofah is used in starchy omelets paired with prawns.

A layer of batter made with sweet potato starch is ladled onto a hot griddle. Loofah strips and shelled shrimps are spread out evenly, and more starch and beaten eggs poured on. A splash of fish sauce is all the seasoning needed.

The mixture is gently cooked till the bottom goes crisp.

The omelet pancake is then flipped over on a plate to show off its golden crisp batter with bits of green and pink showing through.

Taste-wise, it packs a double whammy of umami with the loofah and shrimps contributing their natural sugars.

The tactile appeal of this dish is obvious, with the crackle of batter, the sponginess of tender loofah, the slight bite of fresh shrimp and the egg holding the textures all together.

Loofah is also a lucrative commercial crop.

In our Yunnan home, the local market often offers loofah products that are extra stocks from the factory nearby.

There are the whole dried loofah, bleached and baked and looped into a thick rope. Guaranteed to keep your back well-scrubbed.

Cropped pieces of dried loofah are also sold for the kitchen sink, and they work better than the wire scrubs any day, and are also more environmentally friendly.

There are original soaps-on-the-rope, too. Homemade soaps using the local osmanthus and lavender are melted and poured into sections of sun-bleached loofah.

The result is a convenient scrub and clean beauty product.

We started planting loofah in our Beijing garden a few years ago. At first, it shared space with the grapes, but we soon found that it grew better in strong sunshine and gave it its own garden arch.

The seeds germinate quickly, and once the vines are about man height, they start blooming.

This when you have to pay more attention to this seemingly fuss-free gourd. Once the bright yellow flowers appear, they need to be hand pollinated for better fruiting.

Tiny elongated fruits appear soon after and if you want a healthy harvest, you must pinch off the smaller fruits.

Loofah likes water, and regular dousing is a must. The fruits are ready for eating when they are about 20-30 centimeters long.

You can also keep a few on the vine to mature further. By autumn, they should be brown and dry. Cut off the top and tail and simply shake out the black seeds for next year's crop.

Whack the gourd against a hard surface to shed the dried skin and pieces of loose fiber. What's left is nature's gift. You can cut the sections to suit your own use in the kitchen or bathroom.

Loofah dries hard but softens with water. If you have the space, try planting this beautiful summer vegetable. It will reward your efforts with an edible and functional bounty.