In honor of Native American Heritage month we, let's talk about gourdes. Archaeologist point to Mesoamerica as the origins of the largest concentration of squash species in the world. We know that the Maya ate large numbers of squash seeds alone, toasted, grounded, with Chile, and in corn-based drinks, and stews. The survival of Native Americans across the continent depended in large part on the successful cultivation of beans, corn, and squash. Native Americans introduced squash to Europeans and Africans when they arrived in the Americas. The word squash is a Native American term that became part of European languages in Americas such as Spanish, English, and Dutch.
