Pumpkin, squash, marrow, gourd, calabash, luffa, cucumber, watermelon, melon… The pumpkin family – formally known as Cucurbitaceae or cucurbits – is as diverse as the contestants at your average dog show and they come in all shapes, sizes, colours, textures and weights.
Just explaining the difference between pumpkin and squash is a conundrum of epic proportions: some would say squash have softer, more pliable stems whereas pumpkin stems seem harder – yet both have scratchy little thorns on them. Others claim pumpkin flesh is more fibrous and less sweet than that of winter squash, but then have to add an exculpatory “usually”. To add insult to injury, pumpkins are actually fruit, not vegetables.
About 40 000ha of this family are grown in South Africa every year The major production areas…
