Chapter 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

For further understanding of the study, the researchers’ different reading materials related to the
Squash Pancake. These materials such as books, thesis and other web articles are essential in
broadening the knowledge of the researchers. These will also guide the researchers to achieve their
target objectives by getting ideas on other related literature and make improvement as possible.
The information gathered by the researchers focuses on the Sensory Acceptability of Squash Pancake
at Mandurriao National High School. These reviews present the materials used such as books, journals,
internet, and other thesis writing to support their relevance of the presented study.

Related Literature
Vegetable market continuously generates novel products by following the trends of consumers
whose preferences are increasing towards ready-to-use food. Among these, fresh cut fruits and
vegetables are at the top of the list and are stimulating a great effort of research in this area. In fact,
their market has grown rapidly in recent years as a result of the changes in consumer habits. Food
appearance remains the most required attribute, strongly affecting consumer decision to buy it or not.
In addition, food texture is also a fundamental feature determining product acceptability, appearance,
and texture changes being very tightly linked markers of food deterioration.
Several studies about extending the life of vegetable for a better yield has been conducted in the
market, and one of the is the squash as a raw material with its yielding contents.
Squash is botanically known as Cucurbita maxima and is commonly grown in the Philippines
throughout the year. It is usually grown in home gardens and in commercial scale for it’s immature
fruits, young shoots, flowers, and seeds. Furthermore, Smith, B.D (2006) stated that squash generally
refer to four species of the genus, Cucurbita, also called marrows depending on variety or the nationality
of the speaker.
Squash fruit provides cheap but nutritious vegetable dish to the family meal. Squash is the rich
source of B-carotene vitamin A which is necessary for good eyesight, clear and healthy skin and hair for
resistance against infections. It has very low calories (Nutritional Value of Squash | Healthy Living
Tips, 2009). It is also rich in fiber, which lowers rates heart diseases, and protects from colon
cancer by working to get rid the body of harmful substances (O’Brien, 2009). Due to its healthy
benefits, the future researchers are determined to produce squash powder out of raw squash for
easy use.
Squash (Cucurbita spp.), also known as calabaza or pumpkin, from the Cucurbitaceae family, is a
genus of gourd plants grown for their fruit. It is related to the family of melons and cucumbers (O’Brien,
2009). It is a cool-to-moderate-weather root vegetable with long, lacy leaves reaching about 0.3m (1ft)
in height (Grolier Encyclopedia of Knowledge, 2002). It is a very good source of vitamins A and C, calcium
and iron.