Hechima is a well known sponge cucumber. Actually, Japanese people in mainland use hechima as sponge for body wash. But it is not the only way to use hechima, it is also a vegetable and Okinawan people eat it a lot. Fry some hechima with canned tuna, add some water and mix with miso paste is a popular and easy Okinawan recipe. Also, just now is the best season for hechima