Difference between squash and pumpkin

Melon, watermelon, cucumber, zucchini, pumpkin, squash - it's hard to imagine that plants so different in appearance are representatives of the same family. And in terms of taste, they differ significantly from each other. Is it possible to compare the juicy sweet pulp of a watermelon with an absolutely bland squash? It is not for nothing that the first fruit is considered an excellent dessert, and the second is much more often used in salting for the winter. However, in our article we will not talk about them at all. Let's talk about the difference between a squash and a pumpkin.

Definitions

Zucchini - herbaceous annual plant of the pumpkin family. The fruits are oblong and can be colored green, yellow or white. Zucchini came to us from America, where initially only its seeds were eaten. It was brought to Europe from the New World in the 16th century. Then no one thought that the fruits of an outlandish plant could be eaten, and squash was grown in botanical gardens. Today it is difficult to imagine Mediterranean cuisine without this vegetable. It is believed that the Italians were the first to add unripe zucchini to dishes. It happened in the 18th century. Today the vegetable is actively used in cooking. Young fruits are eaten raw along with the skin, adding them to various salads. Larger zucchini are subjected to heat treatment: they are stewed, fried, baked. They are also good as a side dish for meat and fish dishes.

Pumpkin - herbaceous annual plant, melon culture. Forms large spherical or oval fruits, predominantly orange in color. However, there are pumpkins of combined shades. Mexico is considered to be the homeland of the plant, because it was in the Oaxaca Valley that it first appeared about 8 thousand years ago. Initially, only nutritious seeds were consumed. A little later, the pumpkin spread north into the Missouri and Mississippi river valleys. The Spaniards brought the plant to Europe. In the 16th century, it gained popularity in the Old World. The leading positions in pumpkin cultivation are occupied by Russia, India and China. Ripe fruits are eaten both boiled, fried and baked, and fresh. Juice is squeezed out of them, mashed potatoes, caviar, jam and jam are made.

Comparison

Let's start the comparison with the appearance of the fruit. Zucchini has an oblong, sometimes slightly curved shape. Its color can be either green or yellow, or almost white. Pumpkin fruits are round and often very large. Sometimes there are dark green specimens, but generally their color range varies from yellowish to bright orange. As for the pulp, when ripe, it has the same rich sunny shade. The inside of the pumpkin contains a loose seed cavity, as well as a hard shell layer located just under the skin. Similar is found in melon and watermelon. The flesh of the zucchini is white, the seed cavity is much denser. The carapace layer is absent.

It should be noted that zucchini is recommended to be eaten unripe. These fruits can be eaten raw and directly with the skin, they have a number of beneficial properties. Pumpkin is included in the diet only in ripe form, when the fruit reaches a very impressive size. By this time, the pulp becomes more tender, juicy and aromatic. Another difference between squash and pumpkin is that the latter plant forms powerful branched lashes. Their length can reach several meters. Zucchini grow in small bushes, and if they form whips, then they are very short. Their leaves are large, clawed, pentagonal in shape, and those of a pumpkin are rounded, with denticles at the edges.

Special attention should be paid to the taste of the fruit. In the case of zucchini, it can be called rather bland. That is why this vegetable is often eaten in combination with other ingredients. Pumpkin has a very rich sweetish taste, slightly reminiscent of melon. It makes excellent cereals, juices and desserts. Despite the fact that zucchini is of great benefit to our body, pumpkin significantly surpasses it in this parameter. The pulp of the fruit contains many vitamins along with silicon, phosphorus, potassium, niacin, calcium, iron, etc. The seeds are used as an anthelmintic, and the oil obtained from them is rich in unsaturated fatty acids and is used for metabolic disorders, in order to accelerate regeneration of liver tissue, mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract, prostate gland.

To summarize, what is the difference between squash and pumpkin.