What are Gourds?

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What are Gourds?
Gourds refer to the plants or fruits of the Cucurbitaceae family that includes pumpkins, melons, and squashes. Some people also refer to the dried fruit shell of these plants as gourds. There are a lot of specifies for the gourd family but most come from “calabash” or African bottle gourd, a variety native to the African continent. The gourd plants found in many countries across the globe are said to be brought from Africa through human migration.

Gourds have been used by people for a variety of reasons. Its dried outer covering or shell is used as drinking or storage containers. Some also use them as decorations for homes. Others use them as serving bowls for other food items. Throughout history, the dried outer shells of gourds were used by people for carving, basketry, masks, and sculptures. One famous decorative use of gourds is in the making of “Jack O’Lanterns” during Halloween festivities in the Americas.

There are also those who use parts of the dried fruit in musical instruments. One such instrument made from gourd is called “maraca”. Maracas are simple musical instruments used in the Americas in ancient times. Some gourd varieties are also used as bodies for a variety of common musical instruments such as drums and other traditional string instruments like the berimbau.

Much of gourd’s use is for utilitarian reasons. But there are also varieties that are used by some people as food, particularly in the Asian region. The snake gourd or “Trichosanthes cucumerina” is said to be the most widely used and known gourd for food use. This type of gourd has a bitter taste which is blamed on why this food item is not popular in Western countries. Other gourd varieties can be made into juices, just like the white gourd juice which is popular in parts of China.

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