So here are the facts on your plumb and wonderful pumpkins that we all soooo enjoy carving and eating for the holidays:
- The word pumpkin originates from the word pepon, which is Greek for “large melon". The French adapted this word to pompon, which the British changed to pumpion and later American colonists changed that to the word we use today, "pumpkin".
- The origin of pumpkins is not definitively known, although they are thought to have originated in North America. The oldest evidence, pumpkin-related seeds dating between 7000 and 5500 BC, were found in Mexico. Pumpkins are a squash-like fruit that range in size from less than 1 pound (0.45 kilograms) to over 1,000 pounds (450 kilograms).
- A pumpkin is a gourd-like squash of the genus Cucurbita and the family Cucurbitaceae (which also includes gourds). It commonly refers to cultivars of any one of the species Cucurbita pepo,Cucurbita mixta, Cucurbita maxima, and Cucurbita moschata, and is native to North America. They typically have a thick, orange or yellow shell, creased from the stem to the bottom, containing the seeds and pulp.
- The color of pumpkins is derived from the orange pigments abundant in them. The main nutrients are lutein and both alpha and beta carotene, the latter of which generates vitamin A in the body.
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- When ripe, the pumpkin can be boiled, baked, steamed, or roasted. In its native North America, it is a very important, traditional part of the autumn harvest, eaten mashed and making its way into soups and purees. Often, it is made into pie, various kinds of which are a traditional staple of the Canadian and American Thanksgiving holiday. In Mexico and the U.S., the seeds are often roasted and eaten as a snack.
- Pumpkin seeds have many health benefits, as they are a good source of protein, zinc, and other vitamins, and they are even said to lower cholesterol. One gram of pumpkin seed protein contains as much tryptophan as a full glass of milk. Pumpkin seeds are a good source of magnesium,manganese, phosphorus, and phytosterols.
- Pumpkin seed oil contains essential fatty acids that help maintain healthy blood vessels, nerves and tissues
- Canned pumpkin is often recommended by veterinarians as a dietary supplement for dogs and cats that are experiencing digestive problems. The high fiber content helps to aid proper digestion. Raw pumpkin can be fed to poultry, as a supplement to regular feed, during the winter to help maintain egg production, which usually drops off during the cold months.
- The medicinal properties of pumpkin include anti-diabetic, antioxidant, anti-carcinogenic, and anti-inflammatory.
- East China Normal University research on type-1 diabetic rats, published in July 2007, suggests that chemical compounds found in pumpkin promote regeneration of damaged pancreatic cells, resulting in increased bloodstream insulin levels. According to the research team leader, pumpkin extract may be "a very good product for pre-diabetic people, as well as those who already have diabetes," possibly reducing or eliminating the need for insulin injections for some type-1 diabetics. It is unknown whether pumpkin extract has any effect on diabetes mellitus type 2, as it was not the subject of the study.
- In the United States, the carved pumpkin was first associated with the harvest season in general, long before it became an emblem of Halloween. 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.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.With folklore the jack-o-lantern connects to Halloween lore about warding off demons.
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Source:
"Pumpkin May Cut Injections for Diabetes". Daily Telegraph(London, UK: Telegraph Group). 9 July 2007. Retrieved 2008-10-02.
History of Half-Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival
"The Pumpkin Patch'," 2007. Halloween Online. 19 Feb. 2008 <http://www.pumpkin-patch.com>.
Levin, Rachel (2008-09-17). "The Power of Pumpkin in All Its Parts". feature article. The Food Paper. Retrieved 2008-10-14.
(You can google more facts and info by yourself and with your kids)
Have a great day!
