Pumpkin Seed

Pumpkin seeds are removed from the stringy pulp of ripe pumpkins and squash. Most seeds are enclosed in a white or cream husk, but some varieties, such as Styrian or oilseed pumpkins, produce hull-less seeds with a dark green kernel and no husk. The seeds are flat and oval, about 1 to 2 centimetres long, and when roasted have a nutty, slightly sweet and earthy taste. The term pepita is the Spanish word for seed and is commonly used for the hulled green kernels, especially in Mexican cooking.

Pumpkins and squash of the genus Cucurbita were domesticated in the Americas, with Cucurbita pepo cultivated in Mexico thousands of years ago. The seeds have long been eaten along with the flesh. Today, China, India, Ukraine, Mexico and the United States grow large quantities of pumpkins, and seeds for eating are produced in Austria, China, Mexico and elsewhere, where pumpkins are bred specifically for their seeds.

Pumpkin seeds were part of the diet of peoples across the Americas long before European contact. In Mesoamerica the seeds were roasted or ground into sauces, and they remain a staple in Mexican dishes such as pipian and in snacks. Spanish explorers took pumpkins back to Europe, where they became a minor crop.

In the Styria region of Austria, a hull-less variety arose from a natural mutation, and the dark green oil pressed from its roasted seeds became a regional speciality. Pumpkin seeds then became popular as a health food and a snack in North America and Europe, and today are common in cereals, trail mixes and baked goods. Carving jack-o'-lanterns at Halloween leaves many households with seeds for roasting.

Pumpkin seeds are roasted whole, in their shells, or hulled and used as pepitas in salads, granola, breads, soups and trail mix. In Mexican cooking they are ground into green sauces such as pipian and mole. Seeds from a carved pumpkin are rinsed, dried, tossed with oil and salt or spices, and roasted at a moderate temperature until golden. Styrian pumpkin seed oil is used as a finishing oil on salads, soups and desserts, and not for frying. Ground seeds can be used as a flour or a thickener.

Hulled pumpkin seeds are a good plant source of protein and offer magnesium, zinc, iron, phosphorus and manganese, as well as unsaturated fats and some vitamin E. They contain phytosterols and antioxidants. Small studies have examined seed products in relation to prostate and bladder function, but the evidence is not conclusive. A handful of seeds can add nutrients to meals, but they are calorie-dense and may be heavily salted if bought flavoured. Shelled and unshelled seeds differ in fibre content.