Pumpkin – 南瓜 – nán guā

Has anyone ever wondered why pumpkin is called 南瓜, or south melon in Chinese if translated literally? Well, it turns out, pumpkin is native to South America, and is later grown in Southeast Asia. Along with 南瓜, there are 西瓜 (west melon) or more accurately, watermelon, and 冬瓜, winter melon. 冬 (dōng) has the same pronunciation as 東 (dōng), so as a child, I always wondered why there isn’t a melon called 北瓜, (north melon).

In China, pumpkin is most frequently used in soup, not the puree or bisque type we are used to here in the US, but rather the chunky and broth type typical of a Chinese dish. Chinese people also love to eat roasted pumpkin seeds, often in tea houses over a cup of tea and some good conversation with friends and family members.