Plume Squash Plant

Plume Squash Plant is an edible crop that grows Plume Squash after a 9-cycle growth period. Each harvest produces 4,000 kcal of Plume Squash, which can be eaten directly or processed in a Deep Fryer into Squash Fries. Squash Fries require Tallow as an ingredient and produce 5,400 kcal per batch, making the crop more efficient when fried.

For food planning, a single duplicant consuming Plume Squash directly requires about 2.25 Plume Squash Plants to stay fed. If the crop is instead converted into Squash Fries, about 1.66 Plume Squash Plants are needed per duplicant, assuming the Plume Squash is available for frying. Plume Squash Plants and Plume Squash are also used to feed Pipsqueak variants.

Because the plant is part of a food chain rather than a finished meal, it is usually most valuable in bases that can reliably produce Tallow and support Deep Fryer cooking. When used raw, it provides a straightforward mid-game food source; when used for fries, it stretches crop output further and improves calorie yield.