As I am working with a US based company this year, I find myself with a holiday on their Thanksgiving day (today). I dug up these photos of a sea of pumpkins that my friends (hi Brigette & Douglas 🙂 ) in Canada sent me many days back in October – because they have their thanksgiving on a different day (quite Indian style where different groups of people have the same festival months apart? 😀 )

When I saw this sea of pumpkins from the Atwater Market in Montreal, I thought it had to do with the upcoming Halloween day, also in October. But my friend highlighted that the Pumpkin Pie was a classic dish, part of every traditional Thanksgiving meal. That was a nice connection for me. Because being a vegetarian, thinking about a Turkey meal is not at all interesting. But I can think of Pumpkin Pies (vegetarian, of course) and get happy festive vibes.

And now, I also understand why Starbucks in India started Pumpkin Lattes around Christmas one year. I just thought it was something exotic at that time. After all, Pumpkin which we call ‘Bhopla or Bhoplu’ doesn’t really occupy such a festive stage for the Indian palate as far as I know. Correct me if I am wrong. 😀

But now I know the traditional connection of Pumpkin Pies, and I can better understand why one may think up a Pumpkin Latte for Christmas.

I am also still musing in my brain about the Pumpkin being a major dessert item. I know it is sweet, but I can’t think of any traditional Pumpkin sweets made often in India. It is mostly treated as a nutritious vegetable. Do you know any Indian pumpkin sweets? Let me know 🙂