A giant pumpkin is a valuable raw material for industry (distilling, baking, fruit and vegetable processing, animal feed). Its edible after-cooked flesh can also be candied or made into marmalade. Its seeds are also valued, both for direct consumption and processed into oil;
The classic orange pumpkin is grown as a vegetable, forage, and medicinal plant. It is included in the European Union’s Register of Cultivated Plants. It is one of the oldest cultivated plants in the New World (its seeds were found in Mexican tombs some 10,000 years ago);
Musk pumpkin has a similar taste and nutritional qualities as the classic orange pumpkin. It is also grown as an ornamental plant. In appearance, it resembles a large, yellow-beige pear. It is easy to peel, as its skin is thin and soft.
