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Botanical name
Cucurbita pepo – “pepo” meaning “to ripen in the sun.”
The term pumpkin does not have an agreed upon botanical or scientific meaning, and is used interchangeably with “squash” and “winter squash”.
Description
Besides being made famous by the holidays known as Halloween and Thanksgiving, the pumpkin is a winter squash that is tasty and nutritious. The pumpkin has several edible parts, including the seeds, flowers, leaves and inner pulp.
Vitamins and Minerals
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin B2
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin E
- Beta-carotene
- Calcium
- Copper
- Potassium
- Manganese
- Magnesium
- Phosphorus
- Zinc
- Folate
- Iron
- Lutein
- Zeaxanthin
Pumpkin is also relatively low in calories and is 94% water.
Health Benefits
- Boosts your immune system: Because it is high in vitamins A and C, pumpkin can help boost your immune system.
- Protect your eyes against vision loss: The presence of vitamin A, lutein and zeaxanthin may protect your eyes against sight loss.
- Lower the risk of stomach, throat, pancreas and breast cancers: Pumpkins contain carotenoids, which function as antioxidants. These compounds are linked to lower risks of stomach, throat, pancreas and breast cancers.
- Heart health benefits: Pumpkin contains potassium, vitamin C, fiber and antioxidants, which have been linked to heart health benefits.
- A natural sunblock: The high amounts of beta-carotene in pumpkin acts as a natural sunblock.
- Skin health: Vitamins C and E, as well as lutein and zeaxanthin can help keep your skin strong and healthy.
Folk Remedies
Pumpkins have been used as folk medicine by Native Americans to treat intestinal worms and urinary ailments. This remedy was adopted by American doctors in the early nineteenth century as an anthelmintic for the expulsion of worms.
In Germany and southeastern Europe, seeds were also used as folk remedies to treat irritable bladder and benign prostatic hyperplasia (prostate enlargement).
Background and History
The name pumpkin originated from the Greek word for “large melon” which is “pepon.” “Pepon” was nasalized by the French into “pompon.” The English changed “pompon” to “Pumpion.” Shakespeare referred to the “pumpion” in his Merry Wives of Windsor. American colonists changed “pumpion” into “pumpkin.”
Pumpkins have been grown in North America for five thousand years. They are indigenous to the western hemisphere.
Pumpkins originated in northeastern Mexico and southern United States. The oldest evidence were pumpkin fragments dated between 7,000 and 5,500 BC found in Mexico.
One of the first American pumpkin recipes was included in John Josselyn’s New-England’s Rarities Discovered, published in the early 1670s.
The tradition of carving pumpkins into jack-o-lantern was brought to America by the Irish, but the Irish originally used turnips and not pumpkins to carve jack-o-lanterns, as pumpkins did not exist in Ireland. Ancient Celtic cultures in Ireland carved turnips on All Hallow’s Eve and placed an ember in them to ward off evil spirits.
By 2017, the pumpkin was one of the most popular crops in the United States, where 1.5 billion pounds of pumpkins were produced. The top pumpkin-producing states include Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and California.
Flavor Profile
It tastes like… well… pumpkin and is a flavor in its own right.
Pairs Well With
- Nutmeg
- Cinnamon
- Chocolate
- Chestnuts
- Walnuts
- Ginger
- Cream cheese
- Ricotta
- Orange zest
- Maple syrup
- Brown butter
Storage
Pumpkins can be stored for 30 – 90 days. For long term storage, wash the pumpkins in a very mild chlorine solution. Allow to dry completely and store in a cool, dry and dark place.
Popular Uses
- Pumpkins are widely grown for commercial use and are used both for food and recreation.
- Pumpkin pie is a traditional part of Thanksgiving meals in Canada and the United States.
- Pumpkins are frequently carved as jack-o-lanterns for decoration around Halloween.
- Pumpkin purée is sometimes prepared and frozen for later use.
- Pumpkin can be boiled, steamed, or roasted.
- The seeds are often roasted and eaten as a snack.
- In the Middle East, pumpkin is used for sweet dishes. A well-known sweet delicacy is called halawa yaqtin.
- In the Indian subcontinent, pumpkin is cooked with butter, sugar, and spices in a dish called kadu ka halwa.
- Pumpkin is used to make sambar in Udupi cuisine.
- In Guangxi province, China, the leaves of the pumpkin plant are consumed as a cooked vegetable or in soups.
- In Italy, it can be used with cheeses as a savory stuffing for ravioli.
- In the southwestern United States and Mexico, pumpkin and squash flowers are a popular and widely available food item.
- Pumpkin leaves are often eaten in the Western and central regions of Kenya and are eaten as a a vegetable in Korean cuisine.