GOURD is a kind of squash that harden while drying. It is part of CUCURBITACEA family.
CALABASH is the fruit of a tropical tree, whose fruits also become hard as wood when drying. It is part of BIGNONIACEAE family.
Those fruits with similar particularities are many times mistaken because they are both part of Man's life since thousand of years all around the world : coming with their legends, they feed our imaginary and make us travel all over the 5 continents.
The big family of cucurbitacea counts nowadays around the world about 120 different genres and more than 800 species. Edible squashes were discovered in Central America, first in Mexico then in South America around 6000 years BC. In the Antique Greec, they were the symbol of fertility, prosperity and good health. They have been introduced in Europe during the XVI century, with Christopher Colombus return.
Since the oldest times, dried gourds marked most of the civilizations. They were used as culinary bowl, for the transport of the water, as piece of art and decoration and also in the manufacturing of musical instruments.
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