Tropical Pumpkin: Trinidad
(Cucurbita moschata)

The Tropical Pumpkin originated in tropical South or Central America, possibly Peru or Mexico, and is now widely distributed throughout the tropics. Tropical pumpkins are very well adapted to hot, humid conditions and the ripe fruits can be stored for months or even a year under dry well ventilated storage conditions. The fruits are eaten in a variety of ways—raw, boiled, fried, baked, mashed, steamed, stuff, dried, or used in soups and pies. Young fruits can be pickled, and the seeds are eaten raw or roasted. The flowers, leaves, and young stems are eaten as a green vegetable or added to soup.

This pumpkin from Trinidad has variation in color, shape, and size, but the majority of fruit turn to a dark green or orange with cream colored stripes when mature. Dark orange sweet flesh. The ground mark on the fruit will change color from light green to cream to deep orange indicating when the fruit is ready for harvest. Fruit weighs an average of 3kg. Variety acquired from Hope Seeds.