Bitter courgette can be toxic — taste before cooking to stay safe

Courgettes can contain cucurbitacin, a toxic compound that causes severe vomiting, diarrhoea and stomach cramps. Before cooking, bite off a small piece raw: an intense, burning bitterness means the entire vegetable should be thrown away immediately. Cooking does not neutralise the toxin, so using a bitter courgette regardless of the warning can be dangerous.