A pumpkin is a squash fruit that grows as a gourd from a trailing vine of certain species in the genus Cucurbita. Although the pumpkin is botanically classified as a fruit (the ripened ovary of a flowering plant), it is widely regarded as a vegetable. The pumpkin's insides are commonly eaten, cooked and served in dishes such as pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, and pumpkin soup; the pumpkin seeds may also be roasted for consumption.

Pumpkins have historically been pollinated by the native squash bee Peponapis pruinosa, Gardeners with a shortage of bees, however, often have to hand pollinate. Inadequately pollinated pumpkins usually start growing but abort before full development. An opportunistic fungus is also sometimes blamed for abortions. Pumpkins have male and female flowers, the latter distinguished by the small ovary at the base of the petals. The bright, colorful flowers are short-lived and may open for as little as one day.

The hulled or semi-hulled pumpkin seeds can be roasted and eaten as a snack, similar to the sunflower seed. Removing the white hull of the pumpkin seed reveals an edible, green-colored seed inside. Pumpkin seeds can be prepared for eating by first separating them from the orange pumpkin flesh, then coating them in a generally salty sauce, after which the seeds are distributed upon a baking sheet, and then cooked in an oven at a relatively low temperature for a long period of time.

Pumpkin seeds are a good source of iron, zinc, essential fatty acids, potassium, and magnesium. Pumpkin seeds may also promote prostate health since components in pumpkin seed oil appears to interrupt the triggering of prostate cell multiplication by testosterone and DHT. They are also supply the body with protein and monounsaturated fat. A quarter of a cup of pumpkin seeds contains around 20% of the daily recommended value of monounsaturated fat. One gram of pumpkin seed protein contains as much tryptophan as a full glass of milk.