ILNA | Aboozar Hamidi: The third edition of a squash festival was recently held in the Iranian city of Rasht, where various types of the popular agricultural product were put on show.



The festival started on Sunday, and was open to visitors until Wednesday on the Cultural Pedestrian Walkway of Rasht.

Various kinds of food, dessert and snack made with squash as well as handicrafts made with the vegetable were among the items displayed at the festival.

There are many creative ways to use squash in a dish, including desserts, soups, salads, beverages and even as an alternative to butter.

Encouraging a healthy and traditional diet and promoting the public�s awareness about healthy nutrition and its importance was the main goal of the festival.

Squash contains a lot of nourishing nutrients, is rich in vitamins and minerals, and has low calories.

Squash is one of the best known sources of beta-carotene, which is a strong antioxidant that gives orange colour to fruits and vegetables and is converted into vitamin A in the body.

Beta-carotene-rich foods can reduce the risk of certain types of cancer and protect the body from asthma, heart disease and aging.

Following you can find ILNA�s photos of this festival: