Of mastodons and man... and pumpkins

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During the autumn months, pumpkins and different kinds of squash become staples of our cooking. We can't image the holidays without them in the kitchen. But did you know that pumpkins were once practically inedible by humans? Prehistoric pumpkins were a completely different fruit, one with a tougher skin and absolutely dreadful - in fact, toxic - flavor. Considering that questionable culinary past, we wanted to know how pumpkin got to the point where we now enjoy it as part of all sort of dishes. To get more insight Francis Lam talked with Logan Kistler, who is both a curator at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History and anthropologist. Hungry for pumpkin now? Try this great recipe from Donna Hay for Roasted Pumpkin & Chorizo Salad.

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Francis Lam

Francis Lam is the host of The Splendid Table. He is the former Eat columnist for The New York Times Magazine and is Vice President and Editor-in-Chief at Clarkson Potter. He graduated first in his class at the Culinary Institute of America and has written for numerous publications. Lam lives with his family in New York City.