a good source of beta-carotene, some of which can be converted into vitamin A. Under Spanish colonial influence, C. moschata became established in the Philippines and is a staple vegetable used in a variety of dishes. It is known in Filipino as kalabasa, or in Philippine English as "squash" or "pumpkin". The flower (flor de calabaza) is used as an ingredient in quesadillas, empanadas and other dishes in Mexican cuisine and New Mexican cuisine, and in pupusas in Salvadoran cuisine. The flowers (bulaklak ng kalabasa) are also commonly eaten stuffed (relyeno or relleno), or as ingredients in soups in Philippine cuisine, along with young leaves (talbos ng kalabasa). The seeds, toasted and seasoned, known as pepitas, are a common snack. See also Kabocha Butternut squash References Fruit vegetables Philippine cuisine Jamaican cuisine Mexican cuisine Salvadoran cuisine Central American cuisine Flora of Jamaica Mesoamerican cuisine Cucurbitoideae