where do pumpkins originate from

Pumpkins originated in the Americas, with strong evidence pointing to Central America and regions that are now part of Mexico. Archaeological findings and ancient cultivation trace pumpkin domestication back several thousand years, well before Europeans reached the Americas. Over time, pumpkins spread north into what is now the United States and Canada, and then globally after contact between the Old and New Worlds. In their earliest use, many communities valued pumpkins primarily for seeds, shells, and medicinal or ceremonial roles, with flesh used later as cultivation and breeding intensified to produce the large, orange varieties familiar today. The pumpkin’s journey from ancient Central American crops to a global harvest symbol reflects a long history of agricultural selection, cultural adaptation, and culinary evolution.