Discover the Magic of Gourds: Top 16 Fun and Surprising Facts About Pumpkins!

1. Señor Calabaza's Mexican Culinary Journey

Before avocados were stealing the show, pumpkins were holding the culinary fort in Mexico, boasting a lengthy history of tough times, love-hate relationships, and flavorsome makeovers. What a journey, right, señor Calabaza?: Mexico has cherished the mighty pumpkin for over 7,500 years, and despite its initial small, hard, and bitter disposition, it has since become a beloved staple in Mexican cuisine, truly making it the Christopher Columbus of local ingredients.
Source => bbc.com

2. Peter Pumpkin's Skincare & Haircare Secret

Move over, moisturizers and hair products, for the Peter Pumpkin Eater's secret ingredient is stepping onto the stage and stealing the spotlight: pumpkin seed oil not only packs a punch with Vitamin E, zinc, and omega-3/6 fatty acids for glowing skin, but also prevents hair loss and adds shine to those luscious locks, putting Rapunzel's haircare routine to shame.
Source => harpersbazaar.com

Did you know that sweet potatoes and yams are not the same, despite their similar appearance? Discover the surprising origin of this common mix-up and learn more about these delicious tubers. 🍠🌍

=> Fun Facts about Sweet-Potatoes

3. The Great Jack-o'-Lantern Makeover

Before jack-o'-lanterns became the Kardashians of the vegetable world, gracing every doorstep during Halloween, they had to undergo a bit of a makeover: Originally, turnips served as the spooky canvases in Ireland and Scotland, while England preferred large beets. However, when immigrants brought this trend to America, they found that pumpkins were quite literally a more gourd-geous option, and thus, our beloved pumpkin jack-o'-lantern was born.
Source => history.com

4. Zucchinis & Watermelons: Pumpkin Cousins

Next time you carve a jack-o'-lantern, remember: you're just a zucchini in a watermelon's world pretending to be a pumpkin! In actuality, all of these fruits are part of the Cucurbitaceae family, which boasts around 965 species in about 95 genera, with a high number of species used as food for us humans.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

5. Pre-Pumpkin Spice Latte Days

Before pumpkin spice lattes took the world by storm and Jack-o'-lanterns terrorized suburban neighborhoods: Native American tribes were feasting on pumpkin stew and roasted gourds, with pumpkins even showing up in a couple of pie recipes in Amelia Simmons' American Cookery, the first American-published cookbook.
Source => history-in-the-making.com

6. Pumpkins: Guardians of Our Peepers

Who knew that pumpkins had more tricks up their spooky sleeves than just scaring off pesky neighbors and dressing up our porches for Halloween? As it turns out, these plump pumpers are secretly moonlighting as protectors of our precious peepers, gallantly guarding our sights from the dearth of age-related damages: Rich in antioxidants like vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta carotene, consuming pumpkins can help support eye health and lower the risk of age-related macular degeneration, as discovered by the National Eye Institute's Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS). So, before you cast away those jack-o'-lantern innards, consider dishing up some eye-boosting treats!
Source => medicalnewstoday.com

7. Pumpkins: Fruit and Vegetable Identity Crisis

Facing a bit of an identity crisis, the beloved jack-o'-lantern centerpiece has been seen wandering the aisles of produce departments, contemplating its culinary purpose: pumpkins are, in fact, both fruits and vegetables, as they come from seed-bearing structures while boasting that savory, not-so-sweet flavor chefs adore.
Source => fruitsandveggies.org

8. Cinderella's Pumpkin Snack

If Cinderella had known this, she'd be snackin' instead of sprinting: pumpkins have incredible shelf life, making them the perfect fall season treats for stocking up and preparing all sorts of delicious dishes, from savory soups to scrumptious pies or even a pumpkin chariot salad!
Source => simplyrecipes.com

9. The Ancient Art of Pumpkin Candy

Before pumpkin spice lattes and jack-o'-lanterns swept the nation, our indigenous predecessors were busy perfecting the ultimate underrated Halloween treat: pumpkin candy, a scrumptious sensation on your tastebuds! Behold the delicious facts: Native Americans have been creating pumpkin candy for centuries by cutting long strips of it, soaking overnight, cooking until tender, and sweetening with a syrup made from sugar and water. The result? A wholesome, brittle treat enjoyed across generations.
Source => justapinch.com

10. Smashing-Smashing Snowball: White Pumpkins

Forget those cheeky Charlie Browns; the real Great Pumpkin is actually a smashing-smashing snowball: White pumpkins, boasting thinner skin than their orange brethren, provide a versatile canvas for carving and painting, effortlessly transforming through many guises for autumnal décor and beyond - including chic centerpieces, bold baubles, and festively tied winter delights that thrive in the frostiest of winters.
Source => bloomks.com

11. The Morton Pumpkin Festival Showdown

Step aside, Great Pumpkin - there's a new fall superstar in town: The Morton Pumpkin Festival in Illinois celebrates its 57th year in 2023 with the theme "Farmin' Pumpkins," making the town a strong contender for the title of "Pumpkin Capital of the World." The volunteer-run event gives back to the community and features an annual VIP Giveback.
Source => mortonpumpkinfestival.org

12. Game of Pumpkin Thrones: Size Matters

When pumpkins play the game of thrones, size matters: Spanning from tiny tyrants less than a pound to hulking rulers weighing over 1,000 pounds, these plump fellows turn Halloween into their red carpet while their daintier counterparts don the aprons as pie-filling celebrities.
Source => extension.uga.edu

13. Delicious Pumpkin Beer Bread

When life gives you pumpkins, make beer bread: Combining pumpkin puree and pumpkin ale, this delectable bread variation brings a new meaning to "imbibing the essence of the gourd" with its rich flavor profile that'll leave taste buds elated!
Source => gimmesomeoven.com

14. Daring Pumpkin Sailboats in Nova Scotia

Forget pumpkin spice lattes, we're talking pumpkin sailboats: Every year in Nova Scotia, Canada, the Windsor Pumpkin Regatta commences with daring racers paddling half a mile across Lake Pesaquid in gigantic, brightly colored pumpkins. This fascinating event was founded by Danny Dill in 1999, son of Howard Dill, who bred the Atlantic Giant pumpkin, and since then it has inspired several other similar events, though Wayne Hackney claims the first pumpkin paddling back in 1996 in New Hampshire.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

15. The Gargantuan, Record-Breaking Pumpkin

If you thought your Thanksgiving dinner had impressive girth, buckle up, buttercup: The world's heaviest pumpkin tipped the scales at a jaw-dropping 2,624.6 pounds, growing at a mesmerizing rate of six inches per day, and continuing a proud lineage of oversized orange orbs dating back 7,500 years to their humble beginnings as medicinal munchies and flour factories.
Source => poetryfoundation.org

16. Roll 'Em: The Pumpkin Bowling Extravaganza

Who needs bowling balls when you've got rolling pumpkins? In an oddly satisfying twist on the classic game, families gather 'round for a smashing good time: pumpkin bowling entails hurling our favorite orange gourds down a hill to see who can roll theirs the furthest, with the added thrill of unpredictable paths and potential pumpkin carnage.
Source => biggerthanthethreeofus.com