Pumpkin originated in North America. A member of the squash plant family, its thick shell contains the seed and pulp. The oldest evidence of pumpkin related seeds dates back to 7000BC to 5000BC in Mexico. The word Pumpkin originates from the Greek word ‘Pepon’ or large melon thats round and large. The French called it ‘Pompom’, Brirish’Pumpion’ and finally the most common of all ‘Pumpkin’by Americans. The orange colour of the pumpkin is derived from the carotenoid pigments which contain provitamin A compounds which get converted to vitamin A in the body.
Cultivatation of the Pumpkin
Pumpkin plant is widely grown all over he world for commercial use, recreational or agricultural purposes. Apart from Antarctica, you can find a pumpkin in all the rest of the continents. The biggest international producers being India, China, Canada, Mexico and the United States of America. The Connecticut field pumpkin of America is the oldest and classic variety of pumpkin in existence. Nestle company produces 85% of processed pumpkin under the brand named Libby’s in Illinois. Pumpkins are grown in the warm weather. Honeybees play a large role in pollinating the seeds of commercial pumpkins. Giant pumpkins are a large squash that arose from South America by the efforts of enthusiastic farmers and botanical scientists.
Why should we eat Pumpkin
There are multiple pumpkin benefits that would amaze you. A minimal quantity of 100 gram of raw pumpkin, you can get 26 kilocalories of food energy. It is an excellent source of vitamin A, and a moderate source of Vitamin C. It contains 92% water,6.5% carbohydrate, 0.1% fat and 1% protein. Pumpkin seed oil is a thick oil that can be used for salad dressing, often mixed with other oils due to its strong flavour. Pumpkin oil contains a fatty acid that is good for our muscular contraction and general metabolism. The high fibre content of pumpkin aids in the digestion process.
Traditional Uses of Pumpkin
Pumpkin is a very versatile vegetable that can be easily adapted for cooking. Most parts of the vegetable are edible including its shell, seeds, leaves or even flowers. Roast pumpkin, boiled or steamed, they taste wonderful. In America, it is made into soups, purees and pie. In Canada, China, Europe, Mexico, the dried pumpkin seeds are roasted and eaten as a snack. In the Middle East, it is used as a sweetdish.In China, pumpkin leaves are used to make soups and as cooked vegetable. In Australia and New Zealand, pumpkin is roasted with other vegetables. In Japan, it is used to make savoury dishes. And in India, it is mostly used in sambar or as a sweet delicacy Kadu ka Halwa. Its leaves are eaten in the Korean cuisine. Its seeds are a popular snack that gives us protein, copper, magnesium and zinc.
Pumpkins have also been used as folk medicines by Germans, Chinese and europeans for treating intestinal worms and urinary ailments. Home cooks and professional chefs in America rely on canned pumpkin as an ingredient to cook their dishes as they are totally safe and ready to be used. If you want to give protein and iron to your baby pumpkin is a good choice. The green pumpkin is an Italian heirloom that can be used for roasting, baking or for indoor decorations on autumn.
Pumpkins For Your Next Celebration
The western world is in love with pumpkin for decorative purposes. In North America, they are carved into decorative lanterns called Jack o lanterns for decorative purposes. The myth of Halloween originates from the Irish myth of Stingy Jack. In America, the native pumpkin is used as an emblem of Halloween after their harvest season. Pumpkin pie is mostly eaten during halloween. Canadian and American Thanksgiving is widely associated with the use of pumpkin. There is a strong connection between the supernatural, folklore and pumpkin in the minds of popular imagination. The annual art and Pumpkin festival of California is a Platform to win the prize for the heaviest pumpkin.
Why the Brand Matters
After a tiring day at work who likes to get stuck in long queues for billing, or make their way through snarling traffic and buy household needs?
If you want to escape the drudgery of grocery shopping, then you can choose an easy, relaxed way to buy your daily needs of groceries and food online through the various brands available in the market. Get everything you need right at your doorstep. A plateful of tasty pumpkin dish that is made from the freshest pumpkin promises loads of health benefits for your entire family. So if you want to buy pumpkin online try Big Basket and see the difference.
Big Basket delivers all products in crates thereby minimising the use of plastic and paper bags.Here the fruits and vegetable trays are all recyclable so that eco-friendly methods can be adopted for retail distribution to consumers. As these products are delivered right at your doorsteps lot of carbon emissions generated by the traditional supply chain are reduced and helps in protecting our environment.