Roasted pumpkin seeds in shell without salt: let's get to know them better
Rich in essential fats, but above all known for other properties, pumpkin seeds are more than just something to munch on while watching TV, they should be considered a food with precise nutritional and beneficial properties.
Properties and benefits of pumpkin seeds
Pumpkin seeds have good essential fat content , although not as good as other nuts. On the other hand, for this very reason they are a calorie-rich food like all dried fruit but less than other types. Instead, a unique and peculiar feature of pumpkin seeds is their use in traditional medicine for their deworming activities (thanks to an amino acid called cucurbitin) and for their beneficial effects in case of cystitis.
Hints of botany
Pumpkins are part of the cucurbit family. The family includes trees and herbaceous plants, but those that bear fruit of food interest all belong to the herbaceous type, in other words, pumpkins do not grow on trees. There are several species (5 all belonging to the cucurbit genus) and many varieties of pumpkins grown around the world for food purposes and the seeds are edible in all species, even if not all are traded for this purpose.
Curiosities about pumpkin seeds
In culinary traditions other than the Italian one, oil obtained from pumpkin seeds is highly appreciated. The peculiarity of the type of seeds used for this purpose is that they have such a thin skin that they can be eaten without peeling them.
According to a study published in 2015, pumpkin seeds could alleviate the typical symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (essentially difficulty in urination).
Various tools have been obtained from the pumpkin, the ancient Romans for example made plates, bowls and spoons, but even musical instruments such as South American maracas have been obtained from it.
In another tab we wrote that pumpkin is like pork, nothing is thrown away, we must also add that we do everything with it, in addition to all uses already indicated did you know that a beer is also obtained from it? In the USA there are different types and producers and it has many admirers.
Pumpkin seeds: how to use them in the kitchen
Pumpkin seeds are widely used to enrich delicious salads. But we were integrated with the idea of a pesto.
Pesto with pumpkin seeds
Ingredients
100 gr of pumpkin seeds
a spoonful of pine nuts
four tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast flakes
two teaspoons of chopped parsley
two teaspoons of chopped fresh mint
lemon zest
salt and pepper
Preparation
1) Toast the pumpkin seeds and pine nuts in a pan for a few minutes
2) Put all the ingredients in a food processor and operate it until the mixture appears homogeneous.
3) Tip: to grate the lemon zest more easily, keep the lemon in the refrigerator and grate the zest when frozen.
Recipe source: Natural-care.it
