The Fruits of History The Fruits of History 4: Cucurbit Confidential, Book 4, (Paperback)

One plant family. A thousand years of human history. More variety than you'd believe.

Cucurbits - squashes, gourds, melons, pumpkins, cucumbers - are one of the oldest cultivated plant families on earth. They fed ancient civilizations, crossed oceans with explorers, and became so deeply embedded in cultures worldwide that we barely notice them anymore. This volume gives them the spotlight.

From the ritual significance of gourds in African and Indigenous American cultures to how the pumpkin went from livestock feed to Halloween icon, Cucurbit Confidential traces how this single plant family wound its way through agriculture, cuisine, medicine, and mythology across every inhabited continent.

If you've ever wondered why there are so many kinds of squash, or how a gourd became a musical instrument, a water vessel, and a symbol of fertility - this is the book.

Featured subjects: Squashes, Gourds, Pumpkins, Cucumbers, Zucchini, Melons, Bottle Gourds, Luffas, and the full cucurbit family tree.

Book 4 of the Fruits of History series. Each volume stands alone.