Of the genus Cucurbita pepo, a fruit of the gourd family, found to have been growing in Mexico and Central America 7,000 years ago, from the Native American askootasquash, meaning "eating green." Unlike the tomato, which has undergone a great physical transformation since its Aztec or Incan ancestor, the squash looks as it did to Columbus. A Native American staple, squash was one of the "three sisters" of vegetables grown together in a manner directed by the spirits: corn for its stalk; beans that climbed the corn; and squash to creep along the surrounding ground to keep weeds away. Squash was introduced to Europe upon the explorers' return, embraced most enthusiastically by the Italians. By the time the Pilgrims arrived on the continent, squash had spread throughout North America.
Squashes are categorized as either winter or summer, based on their longevity. Winter squashes take longer to ripen (as long as three months), are harvested in cool weather and can be stored for months at a time. They include acorn, butternut and hubbard varieties. Summer squashes, which include crookneck, pattypan and zucchini, are a warm-weather crop, bred to be harvested before their skins harden, and are grown on bush-like plants that don't creep, as winter squashes do. Summer squashes are often grouped by shape, such as scalloped, "necked" or cylindrical. (See Squash Varieties on page 612.) See also pumpkin.
