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AgriturismoMantova.it
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Homepage > Farm products > Pumpkins
Pumpkin
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Fruit of the cucurbits family, originally from Central America, pumpkin has a hard pasty pulp and a sweet flavour. It is the basic ingredient for many traditional dishes of the Mantuan cuisine, such as tortelli, gnocchi and pumpkin risotto. It is low in calories but rich in potassium, magnesium, vitamin A and vitamin E, and it contains an optimum amount of fibre. It is easy to grow, it does not need much fertilizer, it is resistant to drought, diseases and insects. Some common varieties are highly sensitive to oidium (mal bianco) which sometimes has a negative effect on the function of the leaves, and this can impede ripening. The phrase “don’t throw anything away” applies just as much to the pumpkin as to the pig.; in fact every part of the plant is edible, starting from flowers and leaves. As to the seeds, which have vermifugal properties, are exquisite if toasted and sautéd, and even the skin can be eated.
The main varieties grown in the province of Mantua are:
Cucurbita maxima, is the most common kind.It is globe-shaped and crushed on the poles (in the varieties Piacentina and Mantovana, green-gray coloured, Marina di Chioggia, green-coloured and with a weight around 8 kilogrames, Americana, yellow-green coloured and ribbed, Turbante, with the upper part bright orange and the inferior part whitish).
Cucurbita moscata: is a long pumpkin and its varieties Ungherese and Violino have a yellow-orange skin and a weight of between 2 and 6 kilograms.
Delica: a hybrid with a bright green, smooth skin, precocious.
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