Loofahs, (luffa, lufah) do not come from the sea, as many believe, but are a vegetable that grows on vines. The most common use in the West is for cleaning oneself whilst bathing. Once the vegetable is dried and the remaining soft vegetable matter washed away, the fibres have a pleasant coarseness that polishes the skin.

The vegetable itself is a close relative of the cucumber and is used in cooking throughout India, China, Indonesia, the Phillipines, and some African countries too. The vegetable is only edible when young as once it matures it becomes dry and woody.

The loofah plant has a variety of uses: the young leaves can be eaten as salad, it is used for making the soles of beach sandals, its juice is a natural cure for jaundice and it is used as a material for making furniture. In Paraguay, it is even used in house construction.