Pumpkin spice and everything nice: A look at our beloved squash

I would like to tell you about something so common and ubiquitous in our American culture that you probably don’t think of it as very special. It has been around for a long time, and you see these things every year. No doubt, you might even eat them or at least taste their flavor, especially at this time of year. I am talking about pumpkins.

Simply put, pumpkins are a type of winter squash. Winter squash is an annual fruit within the genus Cucurbita. They are typically warm-season plants, which means they aren’t planted until early summer when the ground temperature is warm, and the fruit ripens in October. Pumpkins grow on vines that creep across the ground and produce very large edible flowers. The fruit develops quickly and comes in various sizes, shapes, and colors.

The name pumpkin refers to any roundish, orange-colored type of squash. The word “pumpkin” originated from “peopon,” which is Greek for large melon. This term evolved through the French word “pompon” and later became “pumpion” in English. These names were applied to pumpkins in New England during settlement times when people were first introduced to the fruit. European settlers had never seen such large orange fruits and didn’t know what to call them, so they used the word pumpkin to describe it.

You see, pumpkins are among the oldest cultivated plants for food, dating back around 10,000 years. They were originally grown by Native peoples of Mexico and the southwestern United States. In other words, pumpkins were a source of food long before European settlers arrived in North America.

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The oldest evidence of pumpkins being used for food comes from fragments of pumpkin stems found in caves in Mexico, dating back to 7,000 B.C. Not only were pumpkins developed and cultivated by Native peoples, but so were corn and beans. It wasn’t long after European settlers arrived in America that pumpkins began appearing in Europe, where they gained popularity. Today, pumpkins are a worldwide food.

As a food, pumpkins are not only delicious but also very healthy. A 3.5-ounce serving of raw pumpkin provides 20% of your daily recommended intake of provitamin A beta-carotene and contains vitamin C. Additionally, pumpkins are low in carbohydrates and nearly fat-free. Pumpkin seeds are also nutritious; a one-ounce serving offers a good source of protein, zinc, and magnesium.

It wasn’t until the mid-1800s that pumpkins became associated with Halloween, leading people to carve them into jack-o’-lanterns. This tradition originated with Irish and Scottish immigrants, who used to carve turnips to create lanterns. The pumpkin, being larger and more readily available, allowed these immigrants to carry on their home country traditions.

Today, pumpkins are found worldwide and grown in nearly every country. They are frequently associated with Halloween in North America. So, this year, take a moment to reflect on the rich history and origins of one of the oldest food crops on the planet: the pumpkin. Until next time …

Editor’s note: Stan Tekiela’s NatureSmart column appears twice a month in the Eden Prairie Local News. Tekiela is an author, naturalist, and wildlife photographer who travels extensively across the United States to study and capture wildlife images.

You can follow his work on Instagram and Facebook. He can be contacted via his website at www.naturesmart.com.