USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -As the colonists and Native Americans began to distribute squash to other parts of the globe, squash has an interesting history of use in both the New and Old World. All squash, commonly referred to as “pumpkins”, “gourds” and “squashes” originated in the New World and are members of the genus Cucurbita.

Detailed explanation-2: -Food historian Lois Ellen Frank calls potatoes, tomatoes, corn, beans, squash, chili, cacao, and vanilla the “magic eight” ingredients that were found and used only in the Americas before 1492 and were taken via the Columbian Exchange back to the Old World, dramatically transforming the cuisine there.

Detailed explanation-3: -The pumpkin is the oldest known cultivated plant in the New World. When I use the term New World it means, North, Central and South America. Native peoples in Mexico started growing pumpkins for food over 11, 000 years ago.

Detailed explanation-4: -Squash originated as a wild plant in Central America and Mexico. The squash family includes some of the largest and most diverse fruits in the plant kingdom and is a significant source of food for many cultures.