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A pumpkin is a vernacular term for mature winter squash of species and varieties in the genus '' Cucurbita'' that has culinary and cultural significance but no agreed upon botanical or scientific meaning. The term ''pumpkin'' is sometimes used interchangeably with "squash" or "winter squash", and is commonly used for cultivars of '' Cucurbita argyrosperma'', '' Cucurbita ficifolia'', '' Cucurbita maxima'', '' Cucurbita moschata'', and '' Cucurbita pepo''. Native to
North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
(northeastern Mexico and the southern United States), ''C. pepo'' pumpkins are one of the oldest domesticated plants, having been used as early as 7,000 to 5,500 BC. Today, pumpkins of varied species are widely grown for food, as well as for aesthetic and recreational purposes. The pumpkin's thick shell contains edible seeds and pulp. Pumpkin pie, for instance, is a traditional part of Thanksgiving meals in Canada and the United States, and pumpkins are frequently carved as jack-o'-lanterns for decoration around
Halloween Halloween or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve) is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Saints' Day. It begins the observanc ...
, although commercially canned pumpkin purée and pumpkin pie fillings are usually made of different pumpkin varieties from those used for jack-o'-lanterns.


Etymology and terminology

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the English word ''pumpkin'' derives from the Ancient Greek word (
romanized Romanization or romanisation, in linguistics, is the conversion of text from a different writing system to the Roman (Latin) script, or a system for doing so. Methods of romanization include transliteration, for representing written text, and ...
), meaning 'melon'. Under this theory, the term transitioned through the Latin word and the Middle French word to the Early Modern English , which was changed to ''pumpkin'' by 17th-century English colonists, shortly after encountering pumpkins upon their arrival in what is now the northeastern United States. An alternate derivation for ''pumpkin'' is the Massachusett word , meaning 'grows forth round'. This term would likely have been used by the Wampanoag people (who speak the dialect of Massachusett) when introducing pumpkins to English Pilgrims at Plymouth Colony, located in present-day Massachusetts. The English word '' squash'' is also derived from a Massachusett word, variously transcribed as , , or, in the closely-related Narragansett language, . Researchers have noted that the term pumpkin and related terms like ayote and calabaza are applied to a range of winter squash with varying size and shape. The term ''tropical pumpkin'' is sometimes used for pumpkin cultivars of the species ''Cucurbita moschata''.


Description

Pumpkin fruits are a type of botanical berry known as a pepo. Characteristics commonly used to define "pumpkin" include smooth and slightly ribbed skin, and deep yellow to orange color. White, green, and other pumpkin colors also exist. While '' C. pepo'' pumpkins generally weigh between ,
Giant pumpkin A giant pumpkin is an orange fruit of the squash '' Cucurbita maxima'', commonly weighing from to over .Karl, J. R. 2014. ''Cleaning the Giant Pumpkin'' History Growing giant pumpkins emerged out of the North American agricultural traditio ...
s can exceed a tonne in mass. Most are varieties of '' Cucurbita maxima'', and were developed through the efforts of botanical societies and enthusiast farmers. The largest cultivars of the species ''Curcubita maxima'' frequently reach weights of over , with current record weights of over 1,226 kg (2,703 lbs).


History

The oldest evidence of '' Cucurbita pepo'' pumpkin is fragments found in Mexico that are dated between 7,000 and 5,500 BC. Within decades after Europeans began colonizing North America, illustrations of pumpkins similar to the modern cultivars Small Sugar pumpkin and
Connecticut Field pumpkin The Connecticut field pumpkin (''C. pepo)'' is a type of pumpkin. It is an heirloom variety, the "standard" and "classic" pumpkin, "one of the oldest pumpkins in existence". Widely used for autumn decorations, either whole or as jack-o'-lanterns ...
were published in Europe.


Cultivation

Pumpkins are a warm-weather crop that is usually planted by early July in the Northern Hemisphere. Pumpkins require that soil temperatures deep are at least and that the soil holds water well. Pumpkin crops may suffer if there is a lack of water, because of temperatures below , or if grown in soils that become waterlogged. Within these conditions, pumpkins are considered hardy, and even if many leaves and portions of the vine are removed or damaged, the plant can quickly grow secondary vines to replace what was removed. Pumpkins produce both a male and female flower, with fertilization usually performed by bees. In America, pumpkins have historically been pollinated by the native
squash bee The name squash bee, also squash and gourd bee, is applied to two related genera of bees in the tribe Eucerini; ''Peponapis'' and ''Xenoglossa''. Both genera are oligoleges (pollen specialists) on the plant genus ''Cucurbita'' and closely relate ...
, ''Peponapis pruinosa'', but that bee has declined, probably partly due to
pesticide Pesticides are substances that are meant to control pests. This includes herbicide, insecticide, nematicide, molluscicide, piscicide, avicide, rodenticide, bactericide, insect repellent, animal repellent, microbicide, fungicide, and lampri ...
( imidacloprid) sensitivity. Ground-based bees, such as squash bees and the eastern bumblebee, are better suited to manage the larger pollen particles that pumpkins create. One hive per acre (0.4 hectares, or five hives per 2 hectares) is recommended by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. If there are inadequate bees for pollination, gardeners may have to hand pollinate. Inadequately pollinated pumpkins usually start growing but fail to develop.


Production

In 2020, world production of pumpkins (including squash and gourds) was 28 million tonnes, with China accounting for 27% of the total. Ukraine and Russia each produced about one million tonnes.


In the United States

As one of the most popular crops in the United States, in 2017 over of pumpkins were produced. The top pumpkin-producing states include Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and California. Pumpkin is the state squash of Texas. According to the
Illinois Department of Agriculture The Illinois Department of Agriculture is the code department of the Illinois state government that regulates various facets of the agriculture industries of Illinois, oversees Illinois soil and water conservation, supervises the weights and mea ...
, 95% of the U.S. crop intended for processing is grown in Illinois. And 41% of the overall pumpkin crop for all uses originates in the state, more than five times the nearest competitor (California, whose pumpkin industry is centered in the San Joaquin Valley), and the majority of that comes from five counties in the central part of the state. Nestlé, operating under the brand name '' Libby's'', produces 85% of the processed pumpkin in the United States, at their plant in Morton, Illinois. In the fall of 2009, rain in Illinois devastated the Nestlé's Libby's pumpkin crop, which, combined with a relatively weak 2008 crop depleting that year's reserves, resulted in a shortage affecting the entire country during the Thanksgiving holiday season. Another shortage, somewhat less severe, affected the 2015 crop. The pumpkin crop grown in the western United States, which constitutes approximately 3–4% of the national crop, is primarily for the
organic Organic may refer to: * Organic, of or relating to an organism, a living entity * Organic, of or relating to an anatomical organ Chemistry * Organic matter, matter that has come from a once-living organism, is capable of decay or is the product ...
market. Terry County, Texas, has a substantial pumpkin industry, centered largely on miniature pumpkins. Illinois farmer
Sarah Frey Sarah Frey (born July 24, 1976) is an American farmer and entrepreneur. She is the CEO and owner of Frey Farms, which she founded at age sixteen. Frey Farms is the largest H-2A visa employer in Illinois as well as the largest grower of pumpkins ...
is called "the Pumpkin Queen of America" and sells around five million pumpkins annually, predominantly for use as lanterns.


Nutrition

In a amount, raw pumpkin provides of food energy and is an excellent source (20% or more the Daily Value, DV) of provitamin A beta-carotene and vitamin A (53% DV) (table). Vitamin C is present in moderate content (11% DV), but no other
nutrient A nutrient is a substance used by an organism to survive, grow, and reproduce. The requirement for dietary nutrient intake applies to animals, plants, fungi, and protists. Nutrients can be incorporated into cells for metabolic purposes or excret ...
s are in significant amounts (less than 10% DV, table). Pumpkin is 92% water, 6.5% carbohydrate, 0.1% fat and 1% protein (table).


Uses


Cooking

Most parts of the pumpkin plant are edible, including the fleshy shell, the seeds, the leaves, and the flowers. When ripe, the pumpkin can be boiled, steamed, or roasted. Pumpkins that are immature may be eaten as summer squash.


Shell and flesh

In North America, pumpkins are an important part of the traditional autumn harvest, eaten
mashed Mashed may refer to: * Mashed, that created from mash ingredients * Mashed, the result of a mashing * Mashed, the result of a mashup (music) * ''Mashed'' (album), a 2007 mashup album * ''Mashed'' (video game), a vehicular combat video game * M ...
and making its way into soups and purées. Often, pumpkin flesh is made into pie, various kinds of which are a traditional staple of the Canadian and American Thanksgiving holidays. Pumpkin purée is sometimes prepared and frozen for later use. A 2003 review of United States processing and canning practices noted that the most common commercially-canned pumpkin varieties were
Connecticut field pumpkin The Connecticut field pumpkin (''C. pepo)'' is a type of pumpkin. It is an heirloom variety, the "standard" and "classic" pumpkin, "one of the oldest pumpkins in existence". Widely used for autumn decorations, either whole or as jack-o'-lanterns ...
,
Dickinson pumpkin Dickinson may refer to: People * Dickinson (name) Place names United States * Dickinson, Minnesota * Dickinson, Broome County, New York * Dickinson, Franklin County, New York * Dickinson, North Dakota * Dickinson, Texas * Dickinson township ...
,
Kentucky field pumpkin Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...
,
Boston marrow Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the capital city, state capital and List of municipalities in Massachusetts, most populous city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financ ...
, and
Golden Delicious 'Golden Delicious' is a cultivar of apple. It is one of the 15 most popular apple cultivars in the United States. It is not closely related to 'Red Delicious'. History Golden Delicious arose from a chance seedling, possibly a hybrid of 'Gri ...
. In the Middle East, pumpkin is used for sweet dishes; a well-known sweet delicacy is called ''halawa yaqtin''. In the Indian subcontinent, pumpkin is cooked with butter, sugar, and spices in a dish called ''kadu ka halwa''. Pumpkin is used to make '' sambar'' in Udupi cuisine. In
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
and New Zealand, pumpkin is often roasted in conjunction with other vegetables. In
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
, small pumpkins are served in savory dishes, including tempura. In
Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John C. Wells, Joh ...
, pumpkins are used in both cooking and desserts (candied). In Thailand, small pumpkins are steamed with
custard Custard is a variety of culinary preparations based on sweetened milk, cheese, or cream cooked with egg or egg yolk to thicken it, and sometimes also flour, corn starch, or gelatin. Depending on the recipe, custard may vary in consistency fro ...
inside and served as a dessert. In Vietnam, pumpkins are commonly cooked in soups with pork or shrimp. In Italy, it can be used with cheeses as a savory stuffing for
ravioli Ravioli (; singular: ''raviolo'', ) are a type of pasta comprising a filling enveloped in thin pasta dough. Usually served in broth or with a sauce, they originated as a traditional food in Italian cuisine. Ravioli are commonly square, though o ...
. In western and central Kenya, pumpkin flesh is usually boiled or steamed. Pumpkin is used in both alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages. Association of pumpkins with harvest time and pumpkin pie at Canadian and American Thanksgiving reinforce its iconic role.
Starbucks Starbucks Corporation is an American multinational chain of coffeehouses and roastery reserves headquartered in Seattle, Washington. It is the world's largest coffeehouse chain. As of November 2021, the company had 33,833 stores in 80 c ...
turned this association into marketing with its Pumpkin Spice Latte, introduced in 2003. This has led to a notable trend in pumpkin and spice flavored food products in North America.


Flowers

In the
southwestern United States The Southwestern United States, also known as the American Southwest or simply the Southwest, is a geographic and cultural region of the United States that generally includes Arizona, New Mexico, and adjacent portions of California, Colorado, Ne ...
and Mexico, pumpkin and squash flowers are a popular and widely available food item. They may be used to garnish dishes, or dredged in a batter then fried in oil.


Leaves

In
Guangxi Guangxi (; ; Chinese postal romanization, alternately romanized as Kwanghsi; ; za, Gvangjsih, italics=yes), officially the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (GZAR), is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the People's Republic ...
province,
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
, the leaves of the pumpkin plant are consumed as a cooked vegetable or in soups.
Korean cuisine Korean cuisine has evolved through centuries of social and political change. Originating from ancient agricultural and nomadic traditions in Korea and southern Manchuria, Korean cuisine reflects a complex interaction of the natural envi ...
makes use of pumpkin leaves, usually of '' C. moschata'' varieties. Pumpkin leaves are a popular vegetable in the western and central regions of Kenya; they are called , and are an ingredient of , Pumpkin leaves are also eaten in Zambia, where they are called and are boiled and cooked with groundnut paste as a side dish.


Seeds

Pumpkin seeds, also known as ''pepitas'', are edible and nutrient-rich. They are about 1.5 cm (0.5 in) long, flat, asymmetrically oval, light green in color and usually covered by a white husk, although some pumpkin varieties produce seeds without them. Pumpkin seeds are a popular snack that can be found hulled or semi-hulled at grocery stores. Per ounce serving, pumpkin seeds are a good source of protein, magnesium, copper and zinc. In
Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John C. Wells, Joh ...
, the seeds are a popular sunflower seed substitute. Pumpkin seeds are popular with Kenyan children who roast them on a pan before eating them.


Pumpkin seed oil

Pumpkin seed oil is a thick oil pressed from roasted seeds that appears red or green in color. When used for cooking or as a salad dressing, pumpkin seed oil is generally mixed with other oils because of its robust flavor. Pumpkin seed oil contains fatty acids, such as oleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid.


Other uses


Medicinal

Pumpkins have been used as folk medicine by Native Americans to treat intestinal worms and urinary ailments, and this Native American remedy was adopted by American doctors in the early nineteenth century as an anthelmintic for the expulsion of worms. In Germany and southeastern Europe, seeds of ''C. pepo'' were also used as folk remedies to treat irritable bladder and benign prostatic hyperplasia. In China, ''C. moschata'' seeds were also used in traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of the parasitic disease
schistosomiasis Schistosomiasis, also known as snail fever, bilharzia, and Katayama fever, is a disease caused by parasitic flatworms called schistosomes. The urinary tract or the intestines may be infected. Symptoms include abdominal pain, diarrhea, bloody s ...
and for the expulsion of tape worms..


Animal feed

Pumpkin seed meal from ''Cucurbita maxima'' and ''Cucurbita moschata'' have been demonstrated to improve the nutrition of eggs for human consumption, and ''Cucurbita pepo'' seed has successfully been used in place of soybean in chicken feed.


Culture


Halloween

In the United States, the carved pumpkin was first associated with the harvest season in general, long before it became an emblem of Halloween. The practice of carving produce for Halloween originated from an Irish myth about a man named " Stingy Jack". The practice of carving pumpkin jack-o'-lanterns for the
Halloween Halloween or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve) is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Saints' Day. It begins the observanc ...
season developed from a traditional practice in Ireland as well as Scotland and other parts of the United Kingdom of carving lanterns from the turnip, mangelwurzel, or swede (rutabaga). These vegetables continue to be popular choices today as carved lanterns in Scotland and Northern Ireland, although the British purchased a million pumpkins for Halloween in 2004 reflecting the spread of pumpkin carving in the United Kingdom. Immigrants to North America began using the native pumpkins for carving, which are both readily available and much larger – making them easier to carve than turnips. Not until 1837 does ''jack-o'-lantern'' appear as a term for a carved vegetable lantern, and the carved pumpkin lantern association with Halloween is recorded in 1866. In 1900, an article on Thanksgiving entertaining recommended a lit jack-o'-lantern as part of the festivities that encourage kids and families to join together to make their own jack-o'-lanterns.The Day We Celebrate: Thanksgiving Treated Gastronomically and Socially
''The New York Times'', November 24, 1895, p. 27.

" ''The New York Times'', October 21, 1900, p. 12.
The traditional American pumpkin used for jack-o-lanterns is the Connecticut field variety.
Kentucky Field pumpkin Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...
is also among the pumpkin cultivars grown specifically for jack-o-lantern carving.


Chunking

Pumpkin chunking Punkin chunkin, or as it is sometimes called pumpkin chucking, is the sport of hurling a pumpkin solely by mechanical means for distance. The devices used include slingshots, catapults, centrifugals, trebuchets, and pneumatic (air) cannons. ...
is a competitive activity in which teams build various mechanical devices designed to throw a pumpkin as far as possible.
Catapult A catapult is a ballistic device used to launch a projectile a great distance without the aid of gunpowder or other propellants – particularly various types of ancient and medieval siege engines. A catapult uses the sudden release of stored p ...
s, trebuchets, ballistas and air cannons are the most common mechanisms.


Pumpkin festivals and competitions

Growers of giant pumpkins often compete to grow the most massive pumpkins. Festivals may be dedicated to the pumpkin and these competitions. In the United States, the town of
Half Moon Bay, California Half Moon Bay is a coastal city in San Mateo County, California, United States, approximately south of San Francisco. Its population was 11,795 as of the 2020 census. Immediately at the north of Half Moon Bay is Pillar Point Harbor and the un ...
, holds an annual Art and Pumpkin Festival, including the World Champion Pumpkin Weigh-Off. The record for the world's heaviest pumpkin, , was established in Italy in 2021.


Folklore and fiction

There is a connection in folklore and popular culture between pumpkins and the supernatural, such as: * The custom of carving jack-o-lanterns from pumpkins derives from folklore about a lost soul wandering the earth. * In the fairy tale '' Cinderella'', the fairy godmother turns a pumpkin into a carriage for the title character, but at midnight it reverts to a pumpkin. * In some adaptations of Washington Irving's ghost story '' The Legend of Sleepy Hollow'', the
headless horseman The Headless Horseman is a mythical figure who has appeared in folklore around the world since the Middle Ages. The figure is traditionally depicted as a rider upon horseback who is missing his head. Description Depending on the legend, the Hor ...
is said to use a pumpkin as a substitute head. In most folklore the carved pumpkin is meant to scare away evil spirits on All Hallows' Eve (that is, Halloween), when the dead were purported to walk the earth.


Cultivars

The species and varieties include many economically important cultivars with a variety of different shapes, colors, and flavors that are grown for different purposes. ''Variety'' is used here interchangeably with ''cultivar'', but not with ''species'' or taxonomic variety.


See also

*
List of culinary fruits This list contains the names of Fruit, fruits that are considered Eating, edible either raw or in some Cuisine, cuisines. The word "fruit" is used in several different ways. The definition of fruit for this list is a culinary fruit, that is, "Any ...
* List of gourds and squashes *
List of squash and pumpkin dishes This is a list of notable squash and pumpkin dishes that are prepared using squash and pumpkin as a primary ingredient. Pumpkin is a squash cultivar. Squash and pumpkin dishes and foods * ''Hobak-juk'' – a Korean variety of '' juk'' (porridg ...


References


External links

* {{Authority control * Crops originating from Pre-Columbian North America Crops originating from the Americas Edible nuts and seeds Fruit vegetables Halloween food Plant common names Staple foods Thanksgiving food