A few notes on nomenclature: If you hail from Britain or a place
formerly under British rule, you’re likely to refer to all
winter squash as “pumpkin.” The same idea applies to Spanish-
speaking cultures here, in Central America and in parts of the
Caribbean, where it’s generically referred to as calabaza. On
this side of the pond, Anglos tend to make the distinction
between jack-o-lantern pumpkins and the many other varieties of
winter squash.Share Don’t let the word “winter” fool you: Winter
squash is actually harvested in autumn before a hard frost and
stored for later. When most people had root cellars, they would
harvest the squash in the fall and store it through the cold
season, hence the name. And the botanical difference between
winter squash and summer squash? Very little. They’re both from
the same plant family, cucurbita, and both ripen on a vine, but
look and act like they’re from different tribes. Zucchini and
the summer varieties have tender skin and almost nonexistent
seeds and can be eaten raw