Differences Between Pumpkin And Squash

Pumpkin vs Squash

The differences between pumpkin and squash are so slight that many people don’t really notice them. There is definitely differences in the two but these differences are not really that obvious. One of the reasons that pumpkins and squash are similar is that both of them come from the same genus, genus Cucurbita, from the family Cucurbitaceae. Another reason is that both of them are fruits and grow on a vine. The best way to know about their differences is to compare them. If you read the paragraph below, you will find out the real differences between a pumpkin and a squash.

What is a pumpkin?

A pumpkin is a fruit that usually is an orange or a yellow-orange color. It is very popular every Halloween since it is often carved into a jack o’lantern. Pumpkins got their name from a Greek word which means large melon. One of the main distinctions of the pumpkin is that its stem is more stiff and spiky than that of a squash. Its seeds are edible and can be a good source of fatty acids, which can serve as energy for muscle contraction and body metabolism.  This fruit is very well-known in United States. As a matter of fact, United States is one of the biggest international producers of pumpkins.

What is a squash?

Squash has many varieties. You can buy butternut squash, pattypan squash, buttercup squash, muscat squash, turban squash and many more. Most squash differ in different parts of the world. The squash in your country might not be the same squash in other countries. Squash comes in different sizes and different shapes as well as different colors. To be exact, squash is a general term used for all these kinds of fruits. So if you are clever, you can say that pumpkin is also called a squash because it belongs to the family. If you are going to talk about squash, it means that you are referring to the whole family of squash, and pumpkins are a part of it.

How to differentiate pumpkin and squash?

Since squash is the general term for the fruits that belong to the genus Cucurbita, and since pumpkin is from the genus Cucurbita, you can say that a pumpkin is just a kind of squash. So if someone asks you what the differences are between a pumpkin and a squash, you can say that a pumpkin is a kind of a squash. There are many kinds of squash in the world and pumpkin is just one of them. You can take the examples of nuts. There are many kinds of nuts in the world. It would be like saying that the squash is a nut and the pumpkin is, for example, an almond.

Summary:

1. One of the reasons that the pumpkin and squash are similar is that both of them come from the same genus, genus Cucurbita, from the family Cucurbitaceae. Another reason is that both of them are fruits and grow on a vine.

2. A pumpkin is a fruit that has usually an orange or a yellow-orange color. It is very popular every Halloween since it is often carved into a jack o’lantern. Pumpkins got their name from a Greek word which means large melon.

3. Squash has many varieties. You can have butternut squash, pattypan squash, buttercup squash, muscat squash, turban squash and many more. Most squash differ in different parts of the world.

4. Basically, a pumpkin is just another type of squash.

Sharing is caring!