Pumpkin is sweet, nutritious, and commonly found in Taiwanese households. Major production areas include Tainan, Chiayi, Yunlin, Hualien, and Kaohsiung, making it available almost year-round. Taiwan's Ministry of Agriculture recently shared pumpkin storage tips on social media to help people keep the ingredient fresh longer.

Whole uncut pumpkins can be stored in a cool, well-ventilated place for more than 30 days at room temperature. Their flavor may even become sweeter after being stored for a period of time. If the pumpkin has been cut in half, it is recommended to wrap it with plastic wrap or place it in a storage bag and refrigerate it for about 5 to 7 days without removing the seeds.

For sliced or cubed pumpkin, freezing is recommended and can preserve the pumpkin for more than 30 days. Frozen pumpkin can be used directly for soups, stir-fries, or steaming without thawing first.

People can also soften pumpkins before cutting by placing them in a rice cooker with about one-fifth cup of water and heating for 3 to 5 minutes, making them easier to cut.

Pumpkin can be prepared in many dishes, including pumpkin soup, pumpkin porridge, steamed pumpkin, pumpkin rice noodles, and pumpkin steamed buns.