Pumpkin is the vegetable of autumn par excellence! Children decorate it for Halloween, while adults use this sweet and tasty vegetable to prepare many tasty dishes, especially our veggie burgers!
It is full of goodness; in fact, it contains a good amount of minerals, such as potassium and magnesium, as well as many vitamins. It is mainly composed of water (as much as 94%), and is therefore perfect for keeping the body well hydrated. It is a real panacea!
But do you really know everything about pumpkins? Here are 5 interesting facts about this autumn-coloured vegetable that (maybe) you didn’t know.
Don’t throw anything away Even pumpkin skin is good! Often it is only the pulp of the pumpkin that is used to prepare it in the oven or to add to soups and risottos. The truth, however, is that you can also enjoy the skin without any problems.
For example, pumpkin is great added to soup to give the recipe even more flavour, or you can add it to jam to make it tastier and creamier. To enjoy the baked skin, wash it well and boil it for at least 30 minutes, then drain and season with oil, salt and herbs. Once seasoned, roast it for 20 minutes at 200 °C. It is a perfect recipe to create a healthy and tasty snack that is also great as a side dish to one of our veggie burgers.
In ancient times, it was used as a vessel Pumpkin has not always been a staple ingredient but was nevertheless used in many different ways. It has been cultivated since 5000 BC by some South American tribes: it was an easy vegetable to transport and was therefore ideal for trade.
Throughout history it has also been used as a vessel for wine or water, as its shape resembled that of bowls. Smaller gourds, however, were also used outside the kitchen: they were used to hold tobacco or gunpowder!
Good for the skin Pumpkin is rich in properties and vitamins, so it does you good when eaten, but is also perfect for creating a mask to purify your face. It is very easy to prepare: just mash a slice of raw pumpkin together with a handful of seeds. Add a little honey to this cream and apply it all over your face. Leave it on for at least 10 minutes and then rinse well. It is ideal for all skin types but particularly for oily skin or skin with impurities: it leaves the skin clean and smooth.
There are so many varieties There are many varieties of pumpkin that come in many different shapes and colours. Among the best known and most widespread is the Marina di Chioggia, with its green colour and classic ellipsoid shape; the flesh is yellow or orange and is ideal for preparing risottos or veloutés. Then there is the long Napoli pumpkin, which has an elongated, almost cylindrical shape. This variety is sweet and fragrant: excellent for pasta or grilling. Finally, the Mantua pumpkin: similar in appearance to the Marina di Chioggia, it is sweet and aromatic and is suitable for gnocchi and tortelli fillings.
The seeds are also delicious In the Balkans, they are nicknamed the “sultan’s aphrodisiac” because of their alleged aphrodisiac qualities due to the large amount of magnesium they contain, which is energising and invigorating, as well as zinc that stimulates testosterone. We do not vouch for their aphrodisiac effect, but they certainly taste good and are high in protein. If enjoying them on their own or in a salad seems a bit boring, you can also find them in our pumpkin and sunflower seed veggie burgers!
