A pumpkin is a cultivar of a squash plant, most commonly of cucurbita pepo, that is round, with smooth, slightly ribbed skin, and deep yellow to orange coloration. The thick shell contains the seeds and pulp. Some exceptionally large cultivars of squash with similar appearance have also been derived from cucurbita maxima.
Specific cultivars of winter squash derived from other species, including c. Argyrosperma, and c. Moschata, are also sometimes called "pumpkin".
In a 100-gram amount, raw pumpkin provides 110 kilojoules (26 kilocalories) of food energy and is an excellent source (20% or more the daily value, dv) of provitamin a beta-carotene and vitamin a (53% dv) (table). Vitamin c is present in moderate content (11% dv), but no other nutrients are in significant amounts (less than 10% dv, table). Pumpkin is 92% water, 6.5% carbohydrate, 0.1% fat and 1% protein (table).
Pumpkins that are still small and green may be eaten in the same way as squash or zucchini. In the middle east, pumpkin is used for sweet dishes; a well-known sweet delicacy is called halawa yaqtin. In south asian countries such as india, pumpkin is cooked with butter, sugar, and spices in a dish called kadu ka halwa. Pumpkin is used to make sambar in udupi cuisine. In guangxi province, china, the leaves of the pumpkin plant are consumed as a cooked vegetable or in soups. In australia and new zealand, pumpkin is often roasted in conjunction with other vegetables. In japan, small pumpkins are served in savory dishes, including tempura.