CALABASH POWDER

Dehydrated Vegetables
	CALABASH POWDER Name in Spanish: Zapallo en Polvo Name in latin: Cucurbita maxima zoom

ASPECT AND DESCRIPTION The pumpkin belongs to the family of the Curcubitaceas that consists of 90 genres and 750 species ( cucurbit = genre; maximum = spices ) therefore the types variety of plants and fruits is very large. The cucurbit genre is native of America and the specific case of the maxima spice of South America. They are herbaceous annual plants with erect holy thistles, the leaves are very large and the flowers are yellowish existing male flowers and female flowers. The fruit is a size pepónide and variable coloration (from oranges to reds or leaden) and with rugose cortex.
HISTORY Exploring ancients (Spanish, Portuguese, French and English) that don’t know the calabash mix up to this vegetable with the melon. The first kitchen book called APICUS ROMAN had recipes using pumpkin. In some conversations, Atheneus cited: ¨A calabash is not eatable when this unripe, but it is good to eat when it is boiled or cooked¨. Even is mentioned a heated discussion with Platon on the species to those who the calabash belonged. Leonard Fuchs, in his famous ¨KRÄUTERBUCH¨ in 1543 mentions this vegetable. In the antiquated Hispanic pharmacopoeia was suggested to insert the four-¨cold seeds¨ (calabash, melon, watermelon and bitter cucumber) to reduce the sexual appetite.
CULINARY USE The pumpkin is very appreciated in the gastronomy for its delicate flavor and also for its high food value. The cubes of dehydrated pumpkin are able to be included to soups or as an ingredient more in some mixture of vegetables to accompany red meats or chickens. The powdered pumpkin is fundamentally used for the cream soup preparation or for the pumpkin vermicelli manufacture. Also is able to be combined with the flakes potato (instantaneous purée) and prepare a purée of both vegetables.