Pumpkin is a fruit that is consumed almost all over the world. It is said that the birth place of pumpkin is North America. Basically this food contains pulp in it and has a thick orange or yellow shell that keeps the pulp and seeds in shape and stick together. It is a common mistake that sometimes a pumpkin is confused with a water melon but they are different. They do belong to the same family but a pumpkin is really bigger than a water melon.
1. Origin of the word
The word pumpkin is originally derived from the word pepon which is a Greek word. In Greece it means ‘a large melon’. French called this pompom, British called it pumpion and then Americans called it today’s pumpkin.
2. Largest pumpkin
The largest pumpkins are cucurbits maxima. They were cultivated in 19th century. It has been a popular festival that is celebrated on the bases for ‘who cultivates the largest pumpkin?’ but then after 19th century this trend diminished.
3. Uses
Pumpkin is a popular food that is being eaten as fruit for several years. It is also used for cooking. Its shell is also cooked. The extracts of pumpkin also do have some chemical extracts. Its seeds are also dried and cooked.
4. Seed oil
Except cooking the seeds after drying, seeds are also used to make oil. Pumpkin seed oil is one of the most nutritious oils in the world. The color of its oil is think red or green. This oil is sold at high prices in the markets. This oil is also very good for heart and joints.
5. Pumpkin and the Halloween
Different shapes are carved on pumpkins on the occasion of Halloween. The most common shape is the face of a ghost with two big triangular eyes and a nose and an open mouth. For this purpose the shell of pumpkin is used.
6. Health
Pumpkins are enriched with different nutritious ingredients. A pumpkin has large amount of vitamin A and potassium. Pumpkin reduces your freckles. They are also used for snake remedies and are a good cure against cancer.
7. Theme of the movies
Pumpkin is a great source of inspiration for movies and other art work like carving at the Halloween. In the movie of Cinderella these were the pumpkins that were used as the horses of her carriage.
8. Great producer
The greatest producer of pumpkin is Morton; there is the biggest libby corporation’s pumpkin industry.
9. Carving of pumpkin
The tradition of carving was originated from America but strangely it wasn’t pumpkin that was carved first on the event of Halloween. Later the tradition of pumpkin carven was brought to Ireland from America.
10. Mats
The shell of pumpkin is dried and mats are made with these dried shells.