Pumpkin seed oil (Kernöl or Kürbiskernöl in German, bučno olje in Slovenian, bučino ulje, tikvino ulje or bundevino ulje in Croatian, ulei de dovleac in Romanian, and tökmag-olaj in Hungarian), is a culinary specialty of south eastern Austria (Styria), eastern Slovenia (Styria and Prekmurje), Central Transylvania, Orastie-Cugir region Romania (Transylvania), north western Croatia (esp. Međimurje), adjacent regions of Hungary, is a European Union Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) product.
Today the oil is an important export commodity of Austria and Slovenia. It is made by pressing roasted, hulled pumpkin seeds (pepitas), from a local variety of pumpkin, the "Styrian oil pumpkin" (Cucurbita pepo var. styriaca, also known as var. oleifera). It has been produced and used in Styria's southern parts at least since the 18th century. The earliest confirmed record of oil pumpkin seeds in Styria (from the estate of a farmer in Gleinstätten) dates to February 18, 1697.
The viscous oil is light to very dark green to dark red in colour depending on the thickness of the observed sample. The oil appears green in thin layer and red in thick layer. Such optical phenomenon is called dichromatism. Pumpkin oil is one of the substances with strongest dichromatism. Its Kreft's dichromaticity index is -44. Used together with yoghurt, the colour turns to bright green and is sometimes referred to as "green-gold".
Read more about Pumpkin Seed Oil: Culinary Uses, Folk Medicine, Seed Types and Oil
Famous quotes containing the words pumpkin, seed and/or oil:
“We fancy men are individuals; so are pumpkins; but every pumpkin in the field, goes through every point of pumpkin history.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“A candle in the thighs
Warms youth and seed and burns the seeds of age;”
—Dylan Thomas (1914–1953)
“To make a good salad is to be a brilliant diplomatist—the problem is entirely the same in both cases. To know exactly how much oil one must put with one’s vinegar.”
—Oscar Wilde (1854–1900)