Pumpkin or Squash?
- Annemarie Bolduc
- Mar 11, 2020
- 3 min read
Updated: Aug 23
This question arises when moving from North America to Australia. Read on for the answer!
In Australia, most winter squashes are called "pumpkins". The word “squash” is generally reserved for the summer squashes, which are picked young with soft, tender and edible skin like the zucchinis and yellow buttons. Interestingly, the spaghetti squash remains relatively unknown or "out of fashion" here, and it’s one of the rare winter squashes not labelled as a pumpkin. In autumn, pumpkins of all colours and shapes are featured in farmers' markets, though they’re also available year-round in supermarkets. The giant orange pumpkins are not the favourite ones for cooking, but are popular as showpieces in agricultural shows. In North America, those same big pumpkins are mainly used for carving during Halloween. For cooking, the butternut squash is a favourite and considered a "squash" in Canada but a "pumpkin" in Australia. I learned this difference firsthand after a spirited “pumpkin or squash” debate with my mother-in-law during my first year growing fruits and veggies downunder. Australia is home to many heirloom varieties such as the Queensland Blue (blue skin), Jarrahdale (grey skin) and the Kent (green and beige patches, which is also called a Jap), all with tender, delicious flesh.
Pumpkin soup, a winter favourite on both sides of the world • Photography © Bottle and Brush Studio 2022
In October in the southern hemisphere, it’s time to sow pumpkin seeds rather than shop for Halloween costumes. Jack-o’-lanterns are rare on porches, and celebrating Halloween in spring has never made much sense to me. Instead, pumpkins are embraced here as an everyday food, far more than I ever experienced back home in Québec. Australians cook them in soups, risottos, salads, pasta, relish, bread, cake, preserves or even as a pizza topping. My mother-in-law always adds pieces to her traditional roasts (baked in the pan along with potatoes around the meat). Back in Québec, I mainly associated pumpkin with soups and pies (often made with canned purée, especially at Thanksgiving). It’s interesting to think about how these fruits, native to the Americas, have taken on such different culinary roles on the other side of the world, and how they are named differently.
Colourful and warming pumpkins • Photography © Bottle and Brush Studio 2020-22
GROWING & COOKING TIPS
All winter squashes and pumpkins are harvested in autumn and can be stored for several months.
Seeds can be roasted for a tasty snack, or saved to sow the following year, though if you’ve grown different varieties together, the new plants might be a fun cross.
Rich in vitamin A, they’re an economical fruit (botanically speaking, though usually treated as vegetables) that can feed you through many winter meals.
Got extra sugar pumpkins, potirons (or other small, round winter squash)? Roast them whole, then fill with risotto, soup, stew, or pasta for a beautiful autumn presentation inspired by Native American pumpkin bowls.
Don’t like peeling? Skip it! Roast pumpkin with the peel on, then scoop out the flesh or blend with the peel for purées to use in pasta fillings, pizza bases, or as a side dish.
Pumpkins - or squashes - are true winners, and what we call them really just depends on where we are!
This is a cover shot made with my mother-in-law's homegrown pumpkins. I was inspired by the native American Three Sisters planting companionship for this composition. There will be more about this subject in my upcoming cookbook! You can find this back issue of ABC Organic Gardener magazine on their website and learn more about growing pumpkins.
Check out some of my pumpkin recipes and inspirations: