Vegetable - Pumpkin

Pumpkin

Health Benefits Nutrition Facts Beauty tips Naming Convention Varieties Recipes Allergies Other tips

About the Vegetable :A pumpkin is a cultivator of the squash plant. It is one of the widely grown vegetables that is incredibly rich in vital antioxidants, and vitamins. While this humble backyard vegetable is less in calories but contains vitamin A, and flavonoid poly-phenolic antioxidants such as leutin, xanthin, and carotenes in abundance.The plant is a fast-growing vine that creeps along the ground surface in a similar fashion like that of other Cucurbitaceae family vegetables and fruits such as cucumber, squash, cantaloupes...etc. It is one of the most popular field crops cultivated around the world, including the USA at the commercial scale for its fruit, and seeds.Pumpkins vary greatly in shape, size and colors. Giant pumpkins generally weigh 4–6 kg with the largest capable of reaching a weight of over 25 kg. Golden-nugget pumpkins are flat, smaller in size and feature sweet creamy orange color flesh.

Scientific / Binomial name : Cucurbita pepo

Popularly Known as :Gummdikaya,Gummadi

Usage :Almost all the parts of the pumpkin plant i.e, fruit, leaves, flowers and seeds are edible.

• Pumpkin can be used in variety of delicious recipes either baked, stew- fried; however, it is eaten best after steam-cooking in order to get maximum nutrients. In China, young tender, pumpkin leaves are consumed as cooked greens or in soups.
• In the Indian subcontinent where it is popular as "kaddu or sitaphal", it is used in the preparation of "sabzee", sweet dishes (halwa), desserts, soups, curries,...etc.
• The fruit is used in the preparations of pies, pancakes, custard, ravioli...etc.
• Golden nugget pumpkins are used to make wonderful soufflés, stuffing, soups...etc.
• Roasted Pumpkin seeds (Pepita) can be eaten as snacks.

Culinary Used Areas :Pumpkins are grown all around the world for a variety of reasons ranging from agricultural purposes (such as animal feed) to commercial and ornamental sales.