What is "kiveve"

Kiveve is one of the most appetizing dishes of the popular semi-sweet Paraguayan gastronomy. It has a doughy texture and is of creamy consistency. Its taste is very pleasant and the primary ingredient is a pumpkin fruit that is called by the guarani name, "andai" in Paraguay. It is a Cucurbita moschata landrace probably of pre-Columbian origin, that would be called "ahuyama" in Venezuela, Colombia, and the Dominican Republic, and "calabaza" or "zapallo" in other Spanish speaking countries and in Spanish language in Paraguay. The fruit is a squash that may be elongated or spherical, and its exterior color ranges from green to orange, to reddish. The pulp is orange color (a color that in Guarany would be called "reddish", that's the translation of the term Kiveve), compact, of firm texture, and has a sweet flavor.

The "kiveve" dish is an important part of the ancestral culinary art of Paraguay and is highly valued. Because of the nature of its ingredients, the dish has a very high value in calories and proteins. According to some scholars of the social history of Paraguay, all of the currently popular Paraguayan gastronomic dishes were established by small family farmers after the Paraguayan War during which Paraguay fought the Triple Alliance ( Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay) between 1864 and 1870. The foods are very high in caloric content because of a situation that overcame the country after the conflict. In the aftermath of the war, food was limited and groceries were difficult to find. So Paraguayan cooking contains a high caloric and protein content to make up for the loss of several meals during the day.