Don't be Bored, Try a Gourd Squash is among the bounty of foods bequeathed to the world by the Native Americans. There are over 700 varieties of squash, several dozen of which are cultivated widely all over the world.
Squashes belong to the same family as gourds, melons and cucumbers.
They include summer squashes such as zucchini, crookneck, and patty pan, and the winter squashes such as acorn, buttercup, butternut, Hubbard, pumpkins, and turban are the most common types now available. Squash is a trailing or climbing vine with large leaves and large, generally yellow, flowers. The part most commonly eaten is the round, seed-filled fruit called the pepo. Squash flowers are also edible. Winter squash is a very good source of vitamin A and other carotenoids.