As many as 22 types of dishes made with pumpkin were cooked in the event, which also featured other programs such as traditional music as well as local games and entertainment.
The festival is known as “Keii-Pela” in the local vernacular. “Keii” means “pumpkin,” and “Pela” means “pilaf” or “cooked rice.”
Pumpkin is a popular ingredient of Mazandaran’s local cuisine, though it is used less frequently nowadays.