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Chinese Melon Seed


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I've seen in my local asian market bags of red melon seeds, and wondered on their uses. I know they can be snacked upon, but must they be hulled first, as sunflower seeds? Or can they be eaten with the hull intact, as pumpkin seeds?

Anyone have recipes/uses/info? I regularly make pumpkinseed brittle for use in my patisserie, and at the request of some asian fusion desserts, I'm curious about using melon seeds for that or other ideas... can anyone help?

Torren O'Haire - Private Chef, FMSC Tablemaster, Culinary Scholar

"life is a combination of magic and pasta"

-F. Fellini

"We should never lose sight of a beautifully conceived meal."

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I've seen in my local asian market bags of red melon seeds, and wondered on their uses. I know they can be snacked upon, but must they be hulled first, as sunflower seeds? Or can they be eaten with the hull intact, as pumpkin seeds?

Anyone have recipes/uses/info? I regularly make pumpkinseed brittle for use in my patisserie, and at the request of some asian fusion desserts, I'm curious about using melon seeds for that or other ideas... can anyone help?

The Chinese red melon seeds must be hulled like sunflower seeds before eating. The hulls are harder than sunflower seeds. They are a pain to eat, but they are a traditional snack during lunar new year, weddings, etc . The red symbolizes good luck, joy, happiness, and the seed themselves symbolizes fertility.

The meat is often used as part of the filling in moon cakes. Other than that... I would be interested to see other suggestions. Don't think I've ever seen them hulled as with bags of sunflower seeds. Can't imagine trying to collect enough to add to a dish.

In the recesses of my mind, I seem to remember seeing young children and women using little hammers, cracking the seeds, collecting the meat. Not sure if it was one of the many "cottage industires' or for personal consumption.

Dejah

www.hillmanweb.com

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They're too hard to crack for practical home cooking, methinks, but they're great as snacks in front of the TV! I'm one of those who loves the clean flavor of the red melon seeds and hates how they're seem to be disappearing at supermarkets aside from around New Year's.

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  • 1 month later...

Hulling them can be a pain if you're not used to it, but I wonder if they can be used instead of pine nuts for pesto?

Funny story: I once set out a dish of them for guests to snack on while having tea. One of my non-Asian guests took a few and just stuck them in her mouth and started chewing. I told her that she may want to unshell them first, like sunflower seeds and she said, "What? I eat sunflower seeds whole too." She actually preferred to eat the whole thing, hull and all.

nakedsushi.net (not so much sushi, and not exactly naked)
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