BBC discovered where the pumpkin comes from! The news reporting: “Autumn is one of the most vibrant times to be in Mexico City because preparations for Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) are in full swing. Bustling morning markets sell bundles of marigolds bound for the celebration’s ofrendas, or ritual offerings, and farmers hawk their prized calabaza, the Mexican word for pumpkin and squash”.
The quintessential symbol of autumn, pumpkin can be found in six continents around the world – but its true home is Mexico. Calabaza is a pre-Hispanic crop that dates back more than 7,500 years. These original pumpkins were small, hard and bitter, but their durable exterior was ideal for surviving harsh weather and less bountiful harvests, which made them an integral part of the ancient Mexican diet.
In today’s Mexican markets, you won’t find any smooth, bright orange Jack-o’-lanterns (those are usually Connecticut Field pumpkins, originally cultivated by Native Americans, which are more apt for carving than eating). Instead, markets sell calabaza that can be bulbous and beige, round and green-striped, or bumpy and yellow with crooked necks. The pulp appears in savoury dishes like moles and tamales, and thepepitas, or seeds, are often just thrown on the comal (griddle) and salted. Calabaza is even crystallized into hyper sweet, waxy confections that are artfully displayed in traditional candy store windows throughout Mexico City.
While most parts of the world only use the pulp of the pumpkin, Mexicans have cooked with the entire calabaza for thousands of years. The pepitas were cherished by the Aztecs, and the entire fruit was enjoyed by the Mayans – pumpkin flesh was cooked into sauces, the hulled seeds were toasted and ground up and the rinds were carved into drinking vessels.
