How Courgettes Became a Summer Staple in the UK

Once a humble garden vegetable, the courgette (or zucchini, as it’s called in North America) has blossomed into one of the UK’s favourite seasonal vegetable stars. Whether thinly sliced into salads, grilled on barbecues, or spiralized into pasta alternatives, courgettes are now a go-to ingredient when the sun is shining. But how did this green squash earn its place at the heart of British summer cooking?  Let’s take a look at the courgette’s journey from New World oddity to the Mediterranean and then a UK garden essential.  Here’s how courgettes became a UK summer staple.

THIS POST MAY CONTAIN COMPENSATED AND AFFILIATE LINKS. MORE INFORMATION IN OUR DISCLAIMER

What Is a Courgette, Anyway?

Although courgettes feel at home in French ratatouille, Italian pasta primavera, courgette bread and this amazing creamy courgette soup, their story begins much farther away — in the Americas.

Courgettes are a cultivar of Cucurbita pepo, a species native to Central and South America.  Known as zucchini in the US and Australia, the courgette is a variety of summer squash, part of the Cucurbitaceae family (alongside pumpkins, cucumbers and melons). Indigenous peoples cultivated various forms of squash for thousands of years before explorers brought them back to Europe in the 16th century.

However, the courgette as we know it today didn’t really emerge until Italy in the 19th century, where selective breeding transformed summer squash into the slender, tender vegetable it is beloved for today. Italians referred to it as zucchina (meaning “little squash”), and from there, the culinary evolution began.

Despite its southern European roots, the courgette has adapted beautifully to British soil — both literally and culturally.

My content on Courgettes:

• Growing Courgettes – all you need to know
• How to Freeze Courgettes
• Creamy Courgette Soup
• Courgette Bread Recipe
• Courgette, Feta and Mint Quiche

The Mediterranean Embraced Courgettes: Italy, France & Spain

Europe’s warm climates, especially in southern countries, proved ideal for growing courgettes. In Italy, courgettes quickly became a fixture in kitchens, often sautéed with garlic, stuffed with cheese and breadcrumbs, or added to pasta dishes.

In France, the courgette became a key player in Provençal cuisine — think ratatouille, a slow-cooked medley of courgette, aubergine, tomatoes, peppers, and herbs that celebrates the summer harvest.

Spain also welcomed the vegetable, integrating it into tortillas, stews, and grilled tapas. The courgette’s mild flavour and ability to soak up spices made it a natural fit across a variety of traditional dishes.

The Arrival of Courgettes in the UK: From Foreign to the Familiar

Courgettes began appearing in the UK during the mid-20th century as part of a growing interest in Mediterranean cuisine. British holidaymakers returning from France and Italy brought back not only a taste for wine and olive oil, but also vegetables like aubergines, peppers, and, yes, courgettes. By the 1970s and 80s, cookbooks and celebrity chefs began showcasing lighter, vegetable-led dishes. With the rise of vegetarianism and health-conscious eating, the courgette’s low calories, high water content, and mild flavour made it an ideal ingredient for British households looking to mix up meat-heavy meals.

My favourite courgette recipes

• Creamy Courgette Soup
• Courgette Bread Recipe
• Courgette, Feta and Mint Quiche

The British Courgette Glut: A Garden Phenomenon

Perhaps the biggest reason courgettes became a British summer staple? They’re ridiculously easy to grow. Courgettes thrive in the UK’s temperate summers. They are famously productive — a single plant can produce a staggering number of fruits over a few months — so much so that allotment holders and home gardeners often find themselves with more courgettes than they can use. This seasonal abundance has led to the term “courgette glut”, a very British gardening problem.

By the mid-to-late 20th century, as more Europeans turned to home gardening during and after wartime food shortages, courgettes earned their place in gardens from England to Greece. They were reliable, fast-growing, and versatile — everything a home cook could want. They’re one of the EASIEST vegetables to grow.

This has even led to the infamous “courgette glut” — a point that we ALL know when the plants start producing more than anyone can reasonably eat.  You know the one.  You go to bed and all is well, you wake up the next day and there are MONSTER courgettes in your garden.

The Courgette’s Modern Popularity: From Health Trends to Instagram Fame

In the 21st century, the courgette has ridden a wave of food trends: low-carb, gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan — it fits them all. With the rise of the spiralizer, “zoodles” (courgette noodles) became a health-conscious alternative to pasta. Courgette bread and muffins now sit beside banana bread in cafés.

The courgette’s mild, slightly sweet flavour makes it a flexible ingredient that can move easily between savoury and sweet dishes. It’s this adaptability that’s helped it become not just a home-grown favourite but a star ingredient in restaurants, cookbooks, and social media feeds.

The Courgette is a True Summer Icon

Today, the courgette is a symbol of European-style summer cooking — light, fresh, and endlessly versatile. Whether you’re grilling them on the barbecue like they do in Portugal, layering them in a gratin as in Provence, or tossing them with olive oil and pasta pretending you’re on a Roman terrace, courgettes are everywhere from June to September.  Or all year round if you buy them from the supermarket.

And with sustainability, local food, and seasonal eating all trending, the courgette’s popularity looks set to grow — quite literally — for years to come.

How to use Courgettes in Modern British Cooking: From Roast Dinners to Ratatouille

Over the years, the courgette has become a flexible favourite in British kitchens

• Grilled or barbecued, often simply with olive oil, sea salt and a squeeze of lemon
• In stews and ratatouille, borrowing from French influences
• Made into soups and frozen
• Baked into cakes with lemon or chocolate (courgette adds moisture, much like carrot cake)
• Made into a courgette bread for a tasty alternative to banana bread
• Spiralised as a low-carb pasta alternative
• Fried into fritters or added to omelettes
• Delivered in Quiches (my Courgette, Feta and Mint Quiche is a fabulous summer favourite)
• Made the star ingredient in fresh pasta dishes – like this simple courgette, garlic, lemon & black pepper pasta.

Why the Courgette Grows and Cooks Well in the UK

• Climate-friendly: Courgettes thrive in British summer conditions with minimal effort
• Health appeal: Low in calories, rich in vitamin C and fibre
• Culinary versatility: Works in both sweet and savoury dishes

Sustainability: Seasonal, low-waste, and homegrown

All this makes the courgette a poster child for the UK’s growing interest in seasonal eating and homegrown produce.

UK Courgettes – From Gardens to Allotments to Supermarkets

Today, you’ll find British-grown courgettes filling supermarket shelves from June to September and beyond! They’re featured in everything from BBC Good Food recipes to school garden projects, making them a true part of British food culture. Whether you’re growing them yourself or grabbing a bag from the local greengrocer, courgettes are no longer a Mediterranean mystery — they’re a reliable, adaptable part of the UK summer.

Final Words on the UK Summer Staple Courgette

Once a modest garden crop, the courgette—known as zucchini in North America—has grown into one of the UK’s most beloved summer vegetables. From fresh salads and barbecue grills to spiralised pasta stand-ins, it’s become a versatile staple of warm-weather cooking. But how did this green squash go from exotic import to a star of British gardens and kitchens? Let’s trace the courgette’s journey from its New World roots, through the Mediterranean, to becoming a summer essential in the UK.

LetsGrowCook is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, amazon.ca. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates