[Artemisia] It's the period pumpkin saga

Wed Jan 25 16:28:45 CST 2006

So, it's pretty clear that they are missing the concept of 'who brought seeds back from Central America?'. 
Interesting as well, is the reference of 'weaving pumkin strips into mats'. As anyone who has handled fresh pumkin is aware, while pumpkin is fiberous, it is also 90% water. The remaining fiber after drying is very friable. I would be astounded if a usable mat could be had from the friut body. Now, the vines... sure. Also interesting is the idea that 'pumpkin pie made with milk, honey and spices' could be an idea from the natives. Cows milk and trade route spices used by east coast tribes in the days of the early settlers???
Hmmmm...
I'd say the whole thing smacks of urban legend archeology.
IMHO
Isabeau
who really needs to get back to work now

Reuben and Arwen <reuben_arwen at yahoo.com> wrote: Latest update on the "Period Pumpkin Saga."  Last Thanksgiving I looked up the  pumpkin pie recipe at the Libby/Nestle site.  They had a pumpkin history and trivia page, so being a history buff, I checked it out while I was there.
    http://www.verybestbaking.com/products/libbys/trivia_answers.aspx#1

Here is the quote from the above site:

  "Pumpkin History and Pies
  Q. Where were the first pumpkins grown?
  A. Pumpkins are believed to have been first cultivated in Central America.  Spanish and Portuguese explorers carried pumpkin seeds back to Europe in the 14th century.  In North America, Native Americans grew pumpkins for food long before the first Europeans arrived on the continent in the 1600s."

  Having insomnia, I decided I had nothing better to do than write to Libby Company and ask who these 14th century Spanish and Portuguese explorers were who beat the 1492 *15th century* C. Columbus voyage to the New World.  Here is their bizarre response.  I'm framing my reply.  Input is appreciated.  Arwen/Esther
  P.S. the SCA does strange things to a person

nestlebaking at casupport.com wrote:
  From: nestlebaking at casupport.com
To: "reuben_arwen at yahoo.com" 
Date: Mon, 23 Jan 2006 16:51:30 -0500
Subject: Response from Nestlï¿½ Baking Case ID: 13506565

                                        January 23, 2006

Dear Arwen Cochran,

Thank you for taking the time to contact us about Libby'sï¿½ Pumpkin. We apologize for the delay in responding to your question about our Libbyï¿½s Pumpkin Trivia. 
We read your email and researched your inquiry. We feel that the statement is correct because we did not state that the Portuguese and Spanish Explorers carried them from North America. 
As per the PumpkinNook ï¿½ By Premier Star Co, in actuality Pumpkins are believed to have originated in Central America. Seeds from related plants have been found in Mexico, dating back over 7000 years to 5500 B.C. 
Native American Indians used pumpkin as a staple in their diets centuries before the pilgrims landed. When white settlers arrived, they saw the pumpkins grown by the Indians. Pumpkin soon became a staple in their diets, too. They also brought seeds back to Europe, where they quickly became popular. Just like today, early settlers used pumpkins in a wide variety of recipes, from desserts to stews and soups. In addition to cooking with pumpkins, they also dried the shells and cut strips to weave into mats. 
Early settlers made pumpkin pie by filling a hollowed out shell with milk, honey and spices, then baking it. Whether they learned this from Native Americans is not known. 
We appreciate your interest in our products and hope you will visit our website often for the latest information on our products and promotions.

Sincerely,
Violette Brea
Consumer Response Representative

Ref: N13506565

  - Your Friends at VeryBestBaking.com 

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