All You Wanted to Know About Pumpkin, a Rosh Hashanah Symbol

The pumpkin first appears in the Mishnah in Tractate Kilayim, Chapter 1, Mishnah 2: "The Egyptian pumpkin, and the ramuza, and the Egyptian bean, and the carob are not considered kilayim (mixed planting) with each other." According to most researchers, the pumpkin mentioned in rabbinic literature is a species called "bottle gourd," or "common kera," originating from the tropical regions of Africa. From there, it spread to Asia and the Mediterranean countries. It turns out that this is not the pumpkin we eat today, which originates from Central and South America. Furthermore, it appears that about fifty years after the discovery of America, pumpkin was already widespread in Europe and from there spread to other parts of the world.

Field Pumpkin: In Israel, this is the most common pumpkin. It is giant, so it is usually bought cut into cubes and wrapped in plastic. For Rosh Hashanah, it's a good idea to make pumpkin soup from it, or baked pumpkin, or a pumpkin pie as a dessert for the meal.

Butternut Squash: It is a small pumpkin shaped like a pear. The meaning of the word butternut is not related at all to low calories. Butternut squash is similar in nutritional value to pumpkin, and it tastes excellent.

Acorn Squash: This is a relatively small pumpkin. When sliced into thick pieces, star shapes are obtained that can be baked in the oven with olive oil and a little salt.

Spaghetti Squash: It got its name because after baking, it breaks down into strands that resemble spaghetti.

Pumpkin Seeds: These are the white seeds that are cracked open after the holiday meal. They are rich in an important mineral called zinc, which is extremely vital for our skin's health, wound and cut healing, and also for strengthening the immune system. Therefore, add a handful of peeled, unroasted white seeds to your vegetable salad or homemade granola.

Nutritional Value: When eating pumpkin, one benefits from the good substances found in its orange color. They are called lutein and beta-carotene. Both are important for our eye health, but not only. Besides these, you also gain a vitamin called folic acid, vitamin C, potassium, and more. Worth it!

It's hard to peel a pumpkin because its skin is hard and has many grooves along its length. Therefore, it is advisable to first bake or cook it with the skin on, and after it softens a bit, it can be peeled. And another thing, fortunately, butternut squash can easily be peeled with a vegetable peeler.

And another interesting fact: pumpkin belongs to the gourd family, which also includes cucumber, zucchini, watermelon, melon, and more. Gourds grow in tropical and subtropical regions, which are the warm areas of the Earth.

Pumpkin Soup for Rosh Hashanah

Ingredients:

1 1/2 kilos pumpkin

1 kilo carrot

2/3 cup large purple onion

3 tablespoons olive oil

5 cloves crushed garlic

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon baharat

2 teaspoons salt

6 cups water

1/3 cup parsley

Instructions:

1. Steam the onion and garlic in a large pot with a little water.

2. Peel and cut the vegetables into uniform sizes and add to the pot.

3. Add water to the pot and cover with a lid.

4. Bring to a boil and cook over low flame for 30 – 40 minutes.

5. Pierce the vegetables with a fork to check they are soft.

6. Add oil, spices, and parsley to the pot.

7. Blend everything using an immersion blender.

Want to know more? Get the course series"Growing Healthy", conducted by naturopath Sarah Bar Asher. It is available for purchaseat the Jewish campus on the Hidabroot website.

Naturopath Sarah Bar Asher is a journalist, food plant reviewer, lecturer at the Wingate Institute for complementary medicine, and lecturer on "Fruit Bearing."