Squash: Always the bridesmaid, never the bride at Thanksgiving




COLUMBIA, Mo. – Squash usually takes a back seat to sweet potato, cranberry and pumpkin in modern-day Thanksgiving meals.

Yet squash is rich in both history and nutrition, said University of Missouri Extension state horticulturist David Trinklein. The Pilgrims and Wampanoag tribe members enjoyed squash at the first Thanksgiving in 1621 in Plymouth colony. The Narragansett tribe called the food “askutasquash,” which means “eaten raw,” said Trinklein.