Delicata is a type of Cucurbita pepo, also called sweet potato squash. The striped skin can resemble other squash varieties; the comparison below uses Illinois Extension's descriptions to distinguish their shapes and colours.
How to distinguish delicata from two other squash varieties
| Type | Description in Illinois Extension |
|---|---|
| Delicata | Long cylindrical fruit with cream colour and dark green stripes. |
| Spaghetti squash | Yellowish-cream, oblong fruit. |
| Sweet dumpling | Flattened, round fruit with fluting. |