What is Calabaza?

Calabaza, also called West Indian pumpkin, is a type of gourd or gourds popular in the Caribbean and medium and South American cuisine. There are many different varieties of Calabaza, all members of the family Coucurbita . Squash is a similar pumpkin, usually with sweet, solid and bright orange or yellow body. The outer side of the squash can be green, tanned, red, orange, yellow, blue or multicolored and the size of the fruit also differs very much. Calabaza is often sold rather in pre -cut pieces, as it may be difficult to cut off hard bark.

Calabaza was one of the clamps of pre-Hispanic meso-American diet, along with corn or corn and climbing beans, known as "three sisters". All plants were grown together by a technique called accompanying planting because they contributed to further growth. Climbing beans could grow around corn stems and at the same time provide nitrogen to the soil and shadow of the previous Weeds. Squash helped the soil to maintain moisture and her prickly stemy discouraged pests. In addition, these three plants offer a balanced diet.

Calabazaa are very versatile food plants. In addition to Squashhu meat, squash flowers and seeds or pepitas are also consumed. Calabaza meat can be baked and consumed separately or used in spicy nites as a thickener for sauces or desserts such as cakes, cakes and candies. The seeds are cooked and baked, often after marinating or salting and eaten as nutritional snacks. Calabaza can also be used in recipes that require pumpkins, a squash walnut and similar pumps.

When selecting the whole Calabaza, look for the one that is heavy and has the stem attached. Do not buy one with soft or dark spots. Hruta is heavy and can be difficult to reduce, often requires a heavy knife or chopper. One method for opening involves removes the stem, then puts the blade along the length of the fruit with a knife and gently knocked itBy hammering until it opens. Remove the seeds before preparing and peel the squash.

Calabaza fruit is rich in vitamin A, beta carotene, riboflavin, thiamine and calcium, while flowers are rich in calcium, phosphorus and iron. The plant also has traditional medicinal use. It is assumed that the seeds help prevent kidney stones, get rid of intestinal parasites and promote prostate health, while flowers and leaves are used against jaundice and stomach inflammation. Some Indian groups also traditionally used seeds to prevent the bed from wetting in children.