Source: Pixabay.com
A few days ago, a woman in front of me in the grocery store set down a scrumptious-looking pumpkin pie. I probably wouldn’t have paid much attention, but the clerk said, “Oh, the first pumpkin pie to come through my line.” To which people around me oohed and awed, saying, “Oh, that looks good.”
I had to agree. Which made me wonder further, “Why are pumpkins sold primarily in the fall?”
Because I’m a writer, and inordinately curious about the most mundane things, I looked it up as soon as I got home. I wasn’t disappointed in my fact-finding mission.
In one article I learned that in the thirteen original colonies, pumpkin was a food of last resort. In fact, to be called a pumpkin eater was a derogatory term. While between 2016 and 2017, it was a $416 million-dollar industry.
My curiosity continuing, I asked friends if they liked pumpkin. The majority agreed they did. My friend Cheryl, who lives on the Caribbean island of Trinidad and Tobago, said when people in her community go to market, everybody either buys a whole pumpkin or a big piece to cook during the week. Her mother cooked a mean pumpkin, Cheryl added, combining it with rice, onions and garlic. They love pumpkin!
Another friend remarked that pumpkin is best in Thai curries. While if you’ve ever enjoyed enchilada soup, you’ll find it gets its orange coloring, creamy texture and main flavor from pumpkin.
Even so, pumpkin at one time got a bum rap. Bustle.com, an online American Woman’s magazine founded in 2013, talked about the term “Pumpkin Eater” and other bizarre hidden meanings in nursery rhymes in one of its issues. https://tinyurl.com/y3fmz8s7To
To think I learned all this because a woman in the grocery line purchased a pumpkin pie. I’m still not clear why pumpkin appears to be a seasonal favorite, e.g. pumpkin pie, pumpkin lattes and more. Guess that’ll require more research.
Do you like pumpkin? Have a special recipe you’d like to share?
Welcome to Fall!
I am not a pumpkin eater–maybe too much cinnamon or too gooey. I like pumpkin bread! Handsome used to eat a whole pie. The minute he saw one in a grocery store, he would buy it.
Oh yum, pumpkin bread. Maybe this wasn’t such a great idea. I’m getting hungry 😉
I love everything pumpkin for six weeks of each year and then I’m done. The flavour makes me feel warm on cool autumn days. Thanks for a great post.
Ah, you’re welcome Jo-Ann. So I won’t try to persuade you that pumpkin is really squash and can be enjoyed all year round 😉 Thanks for commenting.
Surely the seasonal popularity has to do with Halloween, don’t you think?
I don’t know, Judy, I never got that far 🙂