Pumpkin seed

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Pepitas
)
This article is about the edible seed of a pumpkin. For the fish, see Pumpkinseed.
"Pepita" redirects here. For other uses, see Pepita (disambiguation).
Pumpkin seeds after shelling, roasting, and salting
Dried pumpkin seeds in husks

A pumpkin seed, also known in North America as a pepita (from the Mexican

squash. The seeds are typically flat and oval with one axis of symmetry, have a white outer husk, and are light green in color after the husk is removed. Some pumpkin cultivars are huskless, and are grown only for their edible seed.[1] The seeds are nutrient- and calorie-rich, with an especially high content of fat (particularly linoleic acid and oleic acid), protein, dietary fiber, and numerous micronutrients. Pumpkin seed can refer either to the hulled kernel or unhulled whole seed, and most commonly refers to the roasted end product used as a snack
.

Cuisine

Unhulled vs. hulled pumpkin seeds

Pumpkin seeds are a common ingredient in

American Southwest
, and in specialty and Mexican food stores.

The earliest known evidence of the domestication of Cucurbita dates back 8,000–10,000 years ago, predating the domestication of other crops such as maize and common beans in the region by about 4,000 years. Changes in fruit shape and color indicate intentional breeding of C. pepo occurred by no later than 8,000 years ago.[3][4] The process to develop the agricultural knowledge of crop domestication took place over 5,000–6,500 years in Mesoamerica. Squash was domesticated first, with maize second, followed by beans, all becoming part of the Three Sisters agricultural system.[5][6]

Hulled pumpkin seeds

As an ingredient in

salsa made of pumpkin seeds and known as sikil pak is a traditional dish of the Yucatán.[7][8] A Mexican snack using pepitas in an artisan fashion[clarification needed] is referred to as pepitoría. Lightly roasted, salted, unhulled pumpkin seeds are popular in Greece with the descriptive name πασατέμπο, pasatémbo, from Italian: passatempo, lit.
 'pastime'.

The pressed oil of the roasted seeds of a Cucurbita pepo subsp. pepo var. 'styriaca' is also used in Central and Eastern Europe cuisine.[9][10] Pumpkin seeds can also be made into a nut butter. Pumpkin seeds can also be steeped in neutral alcohol, which is then distilled to produce an eau de vie.[11]

Nutrition

Pumpkin and squash seed kernels, roasted, with salt added
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy2,401 kJ (574 kcal)
14.71 g
Sugars1.29 g
Dietary fiber6.5 g
49.05 g
Saturated8.544 g
Monounsaturated15.734
Polyunsaturated19.856
29.84 g
Niacin (B3)
28%
4.43 mg
Pantothenic acid (B5)
11%
0.57 mg
Vitamin B6
6%
0.1 mg
Folate (B9)
14%
57 μg
Vitamin C
7%
6.5 mg
Vitamin E
4%
0.56 mg
Vitamin K
4%
4.5 μg
MineralsQuantity
%DV†
Calcium
4%
52 mg
Iron
45%
8.07 mg
Magnesium
131%
550 mg
Manganese
195%
4.49 mg
Phosphorus
94%
1174 mg
Potassium
26%
788 mg
Sodium
11%
256 mg
Zinc
69%
7.64 mg
Other constituentsQuantity
Water2.0 g
Link to USDA Database entry
†Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults,[12] except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from the National Academies.[13]

Dried, roasted pumpkin seeds are 2% water, 49%

niacin, iron, zinc, manganese, magnesium, and phosphorus (table).[14] The seeds are a moderate source (10–19% DV) of riboflavin, folate, pantothenic acid, sodium, and potassium (table). Major fatty acids in pumpkin seeds are linoleic acid and oleic acid, with palmitic acid and stearic acid in lesser amounts.[14]

Oil

Pumpkin seed oil, a culinary specialty in and important export commodity of Central Europe, is used in cuisine as a salad and cooking oil.

The following are ranges of fatty acid content in C. maxima pepitas:[15]

n:unsat Fatty acid name Percentage range
(14:0) Myristic acid 0.003–0.056
(16:0) Palmitic acid 1.6–8.0
(16:1) Palmitoleic acid 0.02–0.10
(18:0) Stearic acid 0.81–3.21
(18:1) Oleic acid 3.4–19.4
(18:2) Linoleic acid 5.1–20.4
(18:3) Linolenic acid 0.06–0.22
(20:0) Arachidic acid 0.06–0.21
(20:1) Gadoleic acid 0–0.035
(22:0) Behenic acid 0.02–0.12

The total

unsaturated fatty acid concentration ranged from 9% to 21% of the pepita.[15] The total fat content ranged from 11% to 52%. Based on the quantity of alpha-tocopherol extracted in the oil, the vitamin E content of twelve C. maxima cultivar seeds ranged from 4 to 19 mg/100 g of pepita.[15]

Traditional medicine

Pumpkin seeds were once used as an

United States Pharmacopoeia as an antiparasitic from 1863 until 1936.[17]

Market

Due to their versatility as a food product ingredient or snack, pumpkin seeds are projected to grow in sales by 13% annually and reach $631 million from 2020 to 2024.[18]

See also

References

  1. S2CID 94061331
    .
  2. ^ "Pepitas (Pumpkin Seeds)". GourmetSleuth.com. Retrieved 11 February 2013.
  3. doi:10.1126/science.276.5314.932
    .
  4. ^ "Cucurbitaceae—Fruits for Peons, Pilgrims, and Pharaohs". University of California at Los Angeles. Archived from the original on October 16, 2013. Retrieved September 2, 2013.
  5. ^ Landon, Amanda J. (2008). "The "How" of the Three Sisters: The Origins of Agriculture in Mesoamerica and the Human Niche". Nebraska Anthropologist: 110–124.
  6. doi:10.1098/rstb.1976.0074
    .
  7. ISBN 978-1-941252-22-2
    .
  8. ISBN 978-0-553-44730-9
    .
  9. S2CID 16454305
    .
  10. S2CID 97993637
    .
  11. ^ "Beim Schnapsbrenner in Spalt: Destillierte Heimat" [At the Schnaps Maker in Spalt: Distilled Homeland]. Bayerischer Rundfunk (in German). 2 March 2019. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
  12. ^ United States Food and Drug Administration (2024). "Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels". Retrieved 2024-03-28.
  13. PMID 30844154.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link
    )
  14. ^ a b "Nutrition Facts, "Seeds, pumpkin and squash seed kernels, roasted, without salt (pepitas)"". Nutritiondata.com; Conde Nast using the USDA National Nutrient Database, version SR-21. 2018. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
  15. ^
    PMID 17439238. The data are found in Tables 1–3 on pp. 4006–4010 of this USDA reference Archived 2011-08-14 at the Wayback Machine
    .
  16. S2CID 202730706
    .
  17. ISBN 978-90-481-8660-0
    .
  18. ^ Oller, Samantha (2021-01-28). "Pumpkin seeds shift beyond seasonal as their functional qualities shine". Food Dive. Industry Dive. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
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