History
A pumpkin is similar to Squash which belong to the Cucurbitaceae family and is a native North American fruit. The fruit is orange or yellow in color, usually thick exterior and is enriched with pulp and seeds.
The term ‘pumpkin’ has been derived from the term, pepon which is a Greek word which translates to ‘large melon’. In the French vocabulary, this fruit is referred to as pompon, which later on the British converted to pumpion. Scientists have not yet found out regarding the origins of the fruit, but research suggests that it might have originated from North America. Mexico houses the oldest living pumpkin-seeds which have been pre-dated back to 7000 to 5500 BC.
The Native Americans recognized pumpkins as their staple food and this fruit has been present in their culture even before the pilgrims arrived. The natives not only used the fruit for nutritional purposes, but also dehydrated pumpkin strips and wove mats out of them. They discovered various ways of consuming pumpkins, including roasting long strips on an open fire and then devouring it.
When the white settlers arrived, the pumpkin had found place in the daily lives of the natives and the natives also found various ways to cook pumpkin, especially into stews, desserts and soups. One of the most important uses of pumpkins in today’s world is in a pumpkin pie. Researchers have concluded that the concept of a pumpkin pie arrived in the minds of the dwellers when they chopped off the pumpkin’s top, and after removing the seeds, filled it with spices, honey and milk. Later, the pumpkin was baked over dying fire with raging ashes underneath it.
Description