Squash (plant)

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Squash
Yellow squash
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Squashes are a kind of vegetable. They are originally from the Americas. Gourds are in the same family as squashes. Pumpkins and zucchini (courgette) are types of squashes. Although squash is a fruit according to its botanical classification, it is generally considered a vegetable in food preparation. A squash can grow up to fifteen feet tall.

Word origin[change | change source]

The English word "squash" comes from askutasquash (which means "a green thing eaten raw"). This is a word from the Narragansett language, which was documented by Roger Williams in his 1643 publication A Key Into the Language of America. There are similar words for squash in related languages of the Algonquian family such as Massachusett.

Squash and art[change | change source]

The squash has been an important crop in the Andes mountains since the pre-Columbian Era. The Moche culture from Northern Peru made ceramics from earth, water, and fire. This pottery was used to represent important themes. Squash are a popular shape in Moche ceramics.[1]

Images[change | change source]

References[change | change source]

  1. Berrin, Katherine & Larco Museum. The Spirit of Ancient Peru:Treasures from the Museo Arqueológico Rafael Larco Herrera. New York: Thames and Hudson, 1997.

Other websites[change | change source]