Pumpkin Seeds (Nan Gua Zi)
Easier to peel than sunflowers! "Another melon seed" filled with green gems
Description
One of China's 'Three Great Seed Snacks' alongside sunflower and watermelon seeds. White, flat pumpkin seeds boiled in salt/spices, then roasted. Larger than sunflower seeds, featuring a slight gap at the edge making them extremely easy to 'crack'. Packed with a vivid green seed inside.
Classification: Everyone, Snack, Snack, Pumpkin Seeds, Gua Zi, Tea Companion, Easy to Peel, Healthy
Shops selling Pumpkin Seeds (Nan Gua Zi)
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The How to use section below is a general reference, not instructions from the listed shops.
How to use
Ingredients
- Pumpkin seeds
- Salt
- Spices (Star anise
- Licorice etc.)
Instructions
- [Typical Uses]
- [Chatting Companion]: Like sunflower seeds, crack the shell with front teeth and eat the green seed inside. Chosen when tired of sunflower seeds or when wanting a slightly premium tea companion.
Learn more Substitutes, pairings, tips
Key spices
Behind faint saltiness and spice aroma lies a fluffy、rich sweetness of pumpkin seed akin to chestnuts or nuts
Substitutes at Japanese supermarkets
Substitute with JP unsalted pumpkin seeds (shell-less) (lacks the fun of cracking)
Pairing
Green Tea / Oolong Tea / Fruits
Trivia
The shell is so thin it cracks open with just a little pressure from the fingernail, making it a beginner-friendly Gua Zi relatively easy for foreigners lacking 'seed-cracking technique' to eat.
Eating tips & etiquette
Often placed on tables with candy when entertaining guests in Chinese homes. Having less oil and more amino acids than sunflower seeds, it's preferred by women as a 'healthy nut'.
Allergen
None