[Sca-cooks] The pumpkin/gourd debate (again) from the apothecary's workshop

[Radei Drchevich]

don't know if this will help.  but there is a pumpkin of south-east asian
origin, as well as a gourd that is called pumkin in africa.  Since I had
the fire my reference library is currently either detroyed or packed away
for safe keeping<those that survived, luckily my hortus guide is in the
latter>, so I can't look up the bontanical names right now. 

Asian has the common name of Chinese Pumpkin, or White melon.  it is a
greenish/white pumpkin type flesh.  I grow it every year, almost.  is
about 12-16 inches in diameter with the seed cavity at about 4-6 inches,
so thick fleshed.  tastes like a butternut squash.

The Africian variety I am not familiar with first hand, only from
reference in cookbooks and botanical texts.  It is said to be somewhat
more melonlike in texture and flavour, but thinner in flesh that the
native North American pumpkin.

joy

radei

  ----- Original Message -----
  From: "Patrick Levesque"
  To: SCA-Herbalist at yahoogroups.com,
  SCA-AuthenticCooks at yahoogroups.com, "Cooks within the SCA "
  Subject: [Sca-cooks] The pumpkin/gourd debate (again) from the
  apothecary's workshop
  Date: Sun, 20 Nov 2005 22:55:33 -0500


  There is oft mention in medical texts of the 4 cold seeds. Which
  appear to
  be: melon, cucumber, gourd, which are fine, to which pumpkin is
  added.

  The source is in period (1574) so I'm wondering whether "citrouille"
  (pumpkin) and "citrule" (either a spelling variant or something
  completely
  different) may have referred to something different in period.

  Thanks!

  Petru

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