pumpkin attitudes


I would like to talk to you about your attitude to pumpkins!

I understand that in the US, people do not eat pumpkin as a savoury vegetable. As far as I can tell, it is mostly used for sweet pies, and even then it comes out of a can! This is crazy to me. In Australia, our pumpkin does not come out of a can. No sirree. We buy it in the fruit and vegetable section, and it is in big chunks in its shell. And there are lots of different types! Personally I like the Jap pumpkin, which I think we are now calling the Kent pumpkin because it was considered offensive to Jewish American Princesses.

The pumpkin is a pretty staple vegetable in Australia. It often accompanies a roast, along with other beloved standards such as potatoes and peas. In fact, it is my favourite part of a roast dinner! We do not often put pumpkin in our sweet foods, although I have a very nice recipe for pumpkin bread. Oh, and it is fantastic on pizza! Try it with sage and feta.

Apparently the pumpkins in America are bred to be large, brightly coloured and not very nice tasting. I understand that pumkin farms exist only for Halloween! This is a sad state of affairs, to my mind.

I would like to hear about your pumpkin attitudes, and how they relate to your culture. Let us have a roundtable on pumpkins!