(Cucurbita var.)
Technically speaking, pumpkins are squash. There is no sub-species or individualized grouping that separates them from other members of the squash family. Cultivated pumpkins and squash are descendants of wild cucurbits first grown in Southern Mexico, Belize and Guatemala over 10,000 years ago. Spreading throughout North and South America, they quickly became a popular cultivar of most Native peoples. Similar to corn, the cultivation of squash did not begin in Europe until after the discovery of the Americas. The word “pumpkin” originated from the Greek work “pepon” meaning large melon. Pumpkins, in particular, have a history long steeped in myth and folklore. Pumpkin seeds are considered a source of sexual vigour in the Middle East. The Orient utilizes pumpkin seed oil to treat depression. In North America, they are cultivated primarily as jack-o-lanterns, the décor of ghost and goblins on Halloween night! It appears that the culinary delight of this squash has been all but forgotten. Both the flesh and the seeds are equally delicious when eaten young or fully matured.