Orsero offers Italians ‘frighteningly good’ pumpkin

Italian fresh produce brand F.lli Orsero has landed a limited-edition, locally grown pumpkin in front of consumers as it seeks to offer a tasty autumnal treat as well as the traditional Halloween decoration.

The pumpkin, which is marketed as “frighteningly good”, has dark-green skin. dry and firm pulp, and a “sweet flavour with notes of chestnut” that apparently makes it “very versatile” in the kitchen. It will be sold by supermarkets and greengrocers across the country.

Brand owner Gruppo Orsero evidently wants consumers to share, as well as scare. Granted, the specially designed orange label on each pumpkin features an owl in a witch’s hat holding a Jack O’Lantern, but it also carries a recipe on the reverse side.

“Steamed, baked or pan-fried, [pumpkin] can be cooked with or without the peel,” says a spokesperson. “Its unmistakable taste goes perfectly both with the creation of elaborate dishes such as risottos, savoury pies, bread and focaccias, and as the main ingredient of one of the simplest and most loved autumn preparations, velouté.”

The group adds: “In addition to being delicious, pumpkin is a precious vegetable from an organoleptic point of view. With less than 20 kcal per 100 g, it is rich in vitamin A, which contributes to the maintenance of healthy and supple skin, and is a source of vitamin C, which protects our cells from oxidative stress.”