Calabaza is the generic name in the

Spanish language Spanish () or Castilian () is a Romance languages, Romance language of the Indo-European languages, Indo-European language family that evolved from the Vulgar Latin spoken on the Iberian Peninsula of Europe. Today, it is a world language, gl ...

for any type of

winter squash Winter squash is an annual fruit representing several squash species within the genus '' Cucurbita''. Late-growing, less symmetrical, odd-shaped, rough or warty varieties, small to medium in size, but with long-keeping qualities and hard rinds, ...

. Within an English-language context it specifically refers to the West Indian pumpkin, a winter squash typically grown in the West Indies, tropical America, and the

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

. Calabaza is the common name for ''

Cucurbita moschata ''Cucurbita moschata'' is a species originating in the tropical Americas which is cultivated for edible flesh, flowers, greens, and seeds. It includes cultivars known in English as squash or pumpkin. Cultivars of ''C. moschata'' are generally m ...

'' in Cuba, Florida, Puerto Rico, Mexico and the Philippines (where it is also spelled ''kalabasa''). ''C. moschata'' is also known as ''auyama'' in

Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...

, the

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles of the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. It shares a Maritime boundary, maritime border with Puerto Rico to the east and ...

and

Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...

; ''ayote'' in Central America; ''zapallo'' in certain countries of South America; and "pumpkin", "squash", or "calabash" in English-speaking islands.

Etymology

The French term ''calebasse'', and hence the English "calabash", is based on the older Spanish. The spanish word is of pre-Roman origin. It comes from the Iberian ''calapaccu'', from -cal which means house or shell. It is a doublet of

carapace A carapace is a dorsal (upper) section of the exoskeleton or shell in a number of animal groups, including arthropods, such as crustaceans and arachnids, as well as vertebrates, such as turtles and tortoises. In turtles and tortoises, the unde ...

and galapago.

Cultivars

In North America, the Spanish word ''calabaza'' may refer to any of several species of squash of the genus '' Cucurbita''. The term is most commonly used for cultivars of the species '' C. moschata'', which is native to the Caribbean. The skin color typically varies from dark green to light yellow. The flesh can also vary in color, but most common is bright orange or yellow. Varieties differ somewhat in taste and texture, but are generally slightly sweet with a firm but soft texture. Cultivars of the species '' C. maxima'' may also use the term if they resemble the ''C. moschata'' cultivars, and widespread species '' C. foetidissima'' specifically identifies "calabaza" as one of its common names.

Botanical description

Calabaza plants are monoecious and are pollinated by insects like honeybees and bumblebees. The plants have long internodes and vines that are up to from the crown of the fruit to the plant. Most plants have vine-type growth; however, there are some ''Cucurbita moschata'' that are recorded to have bush-type growth. They typically yield between two and fifteen fruits, but the bush types provide higher yields. The fruit may weigh , and fruit shape varies from oval, spheroid, obovate, pear, oblate, to elliptic. Improved types tend to be spheroid, oblate or flat. The rind varies in color from a light to dark green when immature and a light orange to beige when mature, and can be smooth or warted. The inside flesh is green-yellow to orange in color and is about thick.

Uses

Calabaza is eaten many different ways, such as in stews, cakes, and candies. It can also be used in place of

pumpkin A pumpkin is a cultivar, cultivated winter squash in the genus ''Cucurbita''. The term is most commonly applied to round, orange-colored squash varieties, but does not possess a scientific definition. It may be used in reference to many dif ...

varieties. The taste is smooth and somewhat sweet. Calabaza is a good source of beta-carotene, some of which can be converted into

vitamin A Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that is an essential nutrient. The term "vitamin A" encompasses a group of chemically related organic compounds that includes retinol, retinyl esters, and several provitamin (precursor) carotenoids, most not ...

. Under Spanish colonial influence, ''C. moschata'' became established in the Philippines and is a staple vegetable used in a variety of dishes. It is known in Filipino as ''kalabasa'', or in

Philippine English Philippine English is a variety of English native to the Philippines, including those used by the media and the vast majority of educated Filipinos and English learners in the Philippines from adjacent Asian countries. English is taught ...

as "squash" or "pumpkin". The flower (''flor de calabaza'') is used as an ingredient in

quesadilla A quesadilla (; ; Mexican diminutive of ''quesada'') is a Mexican cuisine, Mexican dish consisting of a tortilla that is filled primarily with cheese, and sometimes meats, spices, and other fillings, and then cooked on a griddle or stove. Trad ...

empanada An empanada is a type of baked or fried turnover (food), turnover consisting of pastry and stuffing, filling, common in Culture of Spain, Spain, other Southern European countries, North African countries, South Asian countries, Latin American c ...

s and other dishes in

Mexican cuisine Mexican cuisine consists of the cuisines and associated traditions of the modern country of Mexico. Its earliest roots lie in Mesoamerican Cuisine, Mesoamerican cuisine. Mexican cuisine's ingredients and methods arise from the area's first agr ...

and New Mexican cuisine, and in pupusas in

Salvadoran cuisine Salvadoran cuisine is a style of cooking derived from the nation of El Salvador. The indigenous foods consist of a mix of Amerindian cuisine from groups such as the Lenca, Pipil people, Pipil, Poqomam people, Maya Poqomam, Chʼortiʼ people, Maya ...

. The flowers (''bulaklak ng kalabasa'') are also commonly eaten stuffed (''relyeno'' or ''relleno''), or as ingredients in soups in

Philippine cuisine Filipino cuisine is composed of the cuisines of more than a hundred distinct Ethnic groups in the Philippines, ethnolinguistic groups found throughout the Philippines, Philippine archipelago. A majority of mainstream Filipino dishes that comp ...

, along with young leaves (''talbos ng kalabasa''). The seeds, toasted and seasoned, known as '' pepitas'', are a common snack.

References

{{Reflist Fruit vegetables Filipino cuisine Jamaican cuisine Mexican cuisine Salvadoran cuisine Central American cuisine Flora of Jamaica Mesoamerican cuisine Cucurbitoideae

Etymology

Cultivars

Botanical description

Uses

See also

References