Miriam Sponge Gourd Luffa, known as sin gua (or sen qua) in Cantonese, the “angled sponge gourd” is a triple purpose vegetable. Its immature fruits are like a cross between cucumber and zucchini, and are widely used in Asian cuisine. If the fruits are left to mature to full size, they become intensely fibrous, and can be dried for use as luffa (loofah) sponges. Its large yellow flowers also make this plant highly ornamental. Trellis the vining plants so the fruits can hang down as they grow. This will encourage them to grow very straight.