PUMPKIN
- Pumpkin(лат. Cucurbita)
- Grassy plant of Cucurbitaceae family(Cucurbitaceae)
The word “pumpkin” is understood as summer squash (Cucurbita pepo). It is one-year-old or perennial hard-rough or villous grasses grovelling thanks to branching tendrils,plant is covered by lobar leaves.
The motherland of pumpkin is Central and South America. In Europe it appeared in 16 century. Nowadays it grows at all continents with different climatic conditions.
Pumpkin fruits are very valuable for our nutrition. According to calorific capacity it is equal to cauliflower. 100 g of pumpkin contains 17-31,6 kkal, flesh has from 5 to 25 % of dry basis, 20 % of starch, 15% of fats, 0,7-0,9% of cellulose, vitamins of B, E,PP groups, carotene (30-102 mg%), mineral salt, pectin agents. Leaves and flowers also are rich in vitamins ( leaves contain 620 mg of ascorbic acid), seeds contain fatty oil, organic acids, vitamin E. Edible varieties of pumpkin we can consume after processing as boiled or baked. Such pumpkin is digested well and wide used for children nutrition and healthy diet. It is also used for salads and side order. Pumpkin has long storage qualities. There are many old recipes with pumpkins. Charles Perrault in fairytale “Cinderella” made carriage from pumpkin as it was vegetable that every people even poor ones could have.
