Where do we start with this numerous and varied fruit?
Cucurbita (Latin for gourd)[3] is a genus of herbaceous vine in the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae, also known as cucurbits, native to the Andes and Mesoamerica. Five species are grown worldwide for their edible fruit, variously known as squash, pumpkin, or gourd. . .Squash, or at least most of the type known as Winter squash, were an acquired taste for me. My mother didn't care for it so we didn't have it unless we were at a big holiday dinner and someone else had made it. It was the usual mashed squash with a lot of sugar and butter and just sickeningly sweet. I didn't like it. Especially if I saw those little mini-marshmallows!
Squash was domesticated first, followed by maize and then beans, becoming part of the Three Sisters agricultural system of companion planting.[80][81] The English word "squash" derives from askutasquash (a green thing eaten raw), a word from the Narragansett language, which was documented by Roger Williams, the founder of Rhode Island, in his 1643 publication A Key Into the Language of America.[82] Similar words for squash exist in related languages of the Algonquian family.[51][83]
But I decided to explore the squash universe again when I started doing a lot more cooking and watching cooking shows. I became curious about roasting and using exotic spices and fillings. I'm so glad I did because these fruits are amazing. They are versatile, healthy, filling, economical, and they last a long time so they're forgiving if you forget about them;) Join me past the pumpkin curlicue gourd to talk about cooking and recipes!