We love pumpkin, yes we do, we love pumpkin — how about you? No doubt, this is one of the signature tastes of autumn. Pumpkins were essential to North American diets beginning thousands of years ago. Nowadays it is getting more and more trendy when it comes to premium cuisine around the world. The desire to incorporate seasonal products in gourmet dishes opens the way for pumpkin through the variety of sweet and savory restaurant dishes.

The culinary potential of pumpkin is really vast – from starters and soups, through sides and main courses to delicious desserts and even smoothies, lattes and cocktails. Pumpkin is notorious for pairing well with warm winter spices –cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, cumin and chilli and savory like pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, rice, and oats. When it comes to sweets it goes well with dark and white chocolate, maple syrup, honey and brown sugar. Nice dairy matches are cream cheese, cream, milk, butter, beurre noisette, and vanilla ice cream. Pumpkin complements well various proteins – turkey, veal, pork, lamb, rabbit, game and even some sea foods.

Pumpkin will not only add color and flavor to your autumn meals, but also boost your health. It has a relatively low calory level, but is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals, as well as the carotenoid and antioxidant beta-carotene, which gives orange pumpkins their color. Pumpkin seeds are considered to be a superfood and could be protective against various diseases, including type 2 diabetes and cancer.

So, adding pumpkin to your autumn menu could help you stay healthy, young and beautiful. And last but not least – it will make life vibrantly delicious.