As you might expect, the shape of this popular winter squash resembles an enormous acorn. It has orange flesh and a ribbed skin that’s green fading to orange. It is often prepared simply: sliced in half, baked with a little butter or olive oil, and eaten straight from its bowl-like shell. You can also roast, braise, and steam acorn squash.

Pale yellow (almost cream colored) on the outside with somewhat sweet, orange flesh, butternut are a large winter squash with smooth but thick skin. Popular ways to prepare butternut squash include baking, simmering, braising, and steaming.

Thin and pale yellow with telltale green striping, delicata squash have a tasty yellow flesh that is typically prepared by baking, frying, braising, or steaming. Also called “sweet potato squash,” they are rich in potassium, iron, and vitamins A and C. Look for them from late summer through the fall.

A popular squash for boiling and mashing or pureeing, hubbard squash are very big with a thick shell that’s bumpy and ranges in color from bright orange to deep green. The yellow-orange flesh, meanwhile, can be a bit grainy. Hubbard squash are rich in vitamin A and also have solid amounts of iron and riboflavin.

It’s called “spaghetti squash” because, when cooked, the golden flesh separates out like strings of spaghetti. These pale yellow squash have a hard, smooth shell and are at their peak in early fall through the winter, though you can find them year-round. Spaghetti squash are commonly prepared in casseroles or baked whole (like a potato) and then the flesh separated into spaghetti-like strands and served with sauces.

Often quite colorful, turban squash are also short and squat with a distinctive turban-like protuberance at the top. Because of their unusual look, they are popular as decorative squash. But you can also bake, steam, or simmer turban squash. Buttercup squash are a popular variety.