Winter squash also known as winter Pumpkin is a warm-season vegetable native to Chile, Argentina, Bolivia and Uruguay. It is a sweet and nutrients dense vegetable which is used in several food items since ancient times. Apart from that it has been featured in various systems of traditional medicine for several ailments.
| Name | Winter Squash |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Cucurbita maxima |
| Native | Temperate South America– Chile, Argentina, Bolivia and Uruguay. |
| Common/English Name | Autumn Squash, Banana Squash, Buttercup Squash, Giant Pumpkin, Hubbard Squash, Japanese Squash, Sweet-Fleshed Pumpkin, Sweet-Fleshed Squash, Turban Squash, Winter Gourd, Winter Pumpkin, Winter Squash |
| Name in Other Languages | Slovencina : Tekvica Obrovská Arabic : Qara’ Sudani Japanese : Kabocha Bangladesh : Bilati Malaysia : Labu Finnish : Jättiläiskurpitsa Serbian : Bondeva Pecenka Czech : Dýně Obrovská Egypt : Nqara Sudani Nepalese : Kadu French : Potiron Bulgarian : Kestenka Germany : Risen-Kürbis Polish : Dynia Duza Ghana : E fere Philippines : Kumbasa ( Bontok ) India : Kadduu Sierra Leone : Njalin ( Kissi ) Italian : Cocozza Afrikaans : Ayote Chinese : Nam Kwa Khmer : Lo-Peu Dutch : Pompoen Laos : Fak Kham Danish : Centnergrćskar Mali : Akesaïm Vietnamese : Bi Do Mexico : Calabaza Tamalayota Swedish : Jättepumpa Nigeria : Arä Argentina : Zapallo Pakistan : Halva Kaddu Togo : Kaere Papua New Guinea : Pamkin Hebrew : Delaat Gedola Paraguay : Dutué The Gambia : Laket ( Wolof ) Portuguese : Abóbora-Menina West Cameroons : Dibok ( Bafok ) Russian : Ispolinskaja Tykva Indonesia : Waluh Senegal : Budi ( Fula-Pulaar ) Hungarian : Óriástök Liberia : Bili Gah ( Mano ) Slovašcina : Buča Velikank Thai : Fak Thong Norwegian : Kjempegraskar Spanish : Ayotera Uganda : Kicwika Papiamento : Pampuna West Cameroons : Dibok ( Bafok ) |
| Plant Growth Habit | Monoecious, annual, trailing herb or climbing by lateral |
| Growing Climate | Warm-season vegetable |
| Soil | Prefers well-drained, fertile, loose soil, high in organic matter |
| Plant Size | 1.5 to 3 feet tall and 3 to 15 feet wide |
| Root | Extensive but shallow root system with a branched tap root. |
| Stem | Rounded and soft, long running, softly pubescent, often rooting at nodes. |
| Leaf | Alternate, simple, exstipulate; petiole 5–20 cm long; lamina usually reniform, not lobed, deeply cordate at base, margins finely toothed, softly hairy, occasionally with white blotches, 3-veined from the base. |
| Flower | Solitary, axillary, unisexual, regular, pentamerous, large, 10–20 cm across, lemon yellow to orange-yellow |
| Fruit Shape & Size | Large, globose to ovoid or obovoid berry |
| Fruit Color | Differs according to its varieties but are mainly white, yellow, pale grayish blue, orange with green jagged stripes |
| Skin | Moderately hard rind |
| Flesh Color | moderately hard rind |
| Fruit Weight | Up to 50 kg |
| Flavor/aroma | Sweet, mellow |
| Taste | Sweet |
| Seed | Obovoid, flattened, 1.5–2.5 cm × 1–1.5 cm, white to pale brown, with smooth or somewhat rough surface |
| Season | September or October |
| Varieties/Types | Acorn Squash, Butternut Squash, Delicata squash, Hubbard Squash, Kabocha Squash, Spaghetti Squash, Sweet Dumpling Squash,Turban Squash, Banana Squash, Buttercup Squash,Calabaza Squash, Carnival Squash, Chinese Winter Squash, Golden Nugget Squash, Heart of Gold Squash, Iran Winter Squash, Orangetti Squash, Red Etampes Squash, Red Kuri Squash, Stripetti Squash, Sweet Mama Squash, Ukrainian Winter Squash |
| Major Nutrition | Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid) 12.8 mg (14.22%) Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) 0.179 mg (13.77%) Total dietary Fiber 4.5 g (11.84%) Vitamin A, RAE 79 µg (11.29%) Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid) 0.464 mg (9.28%) Manganese, Mn 0.208 mg (9.04%) Copper, Cu 0.074 mg (8.22%) Potassium, K 371 mg (7.89%) Carbohydrate 10.09 g (7.76%) Tryptophan 0.032 g (7.27%) |
| Health Benefits |
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| Calories in 1cup (116gm) | 46 Kcal |