A pumpkin seed, also known as a pepita (from the Mexican Spanish: pepita de calabaza, 'little seed of squash'), is the edible seed of a pumpkin or certain other cultivars of squash. The seeds are typically flat and oval with one axis of symmetry, have a white outer husk, and are light green 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.
- ^ Song, Y.; Li, J.; Hu, X.; Ni, Y.; Li, Q. (2011). "Structural characterization of a polysaccharide isolated from Lady Godiva pumpkins (Cucurbita pepo lady godiva)". Macromolecular Research. 19 (11): 1172–1178. doi:10.1007/s13233-011-1102-7. S2CID 94061331.