Hello my little pumpkin seeds! Today we’ll learn everything there is to know about pumpkin seed oil! Why use pumpkin seed oil? What are the health benefits of it? What are the main production regions and how is it made? There are many questions about it, but we’ll gladly help with all the answers! We grew up with the oil and use it on a daily basis, that’s why we’re destined to take the ultimate oil journey with you! Hop on my little Cinderella, because the pumpkin carriage is leaving now (don’t forget your heels btw)!
What is pumpkin seed oil?
You do not have to be Einstein to guess that pumpkin seed oil is made out of pumpkin – seeds! But let’s start from the beginning, shall we? It’s the pumpkin that makes the difference (my little pumpkin), because the oil is mostly made out of the Styrian oil pumpkin Cucurbita pepo var. Styriaca! This pumpkin has very beneficial production characteristics with very high oil levels and the absence of the seed hull, which helps to ease the process of oil production!
The oil seed pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo var. Styriaca)
Pumpkins are originally from Central and North America, mostly Mexico, where they were present for thousands of years, until the Europeans hit in and took the pumpkin … Long story short, pumpkins are now to find all over the world (thanks Halloween!) and are part of the human diet.
The hull less oil seed pumpkin was first found in Styria (Austria) and because of its high production qualities becomes the dominant oil pumpkin! It’s basketball sized, green orange in color and full of hull-less-seeds high in oil content! It doesn’t have much pulp and is mostly not for fresh consumption, (but you can eat it when it’s still young though)! It grows nicely in warm but humid conditions where the seeds can concentrate its flavor and oil content.
How does pumpkin seed oil taste like?
The taste of it is just out of this world! No other oil in the whole wide world is something similar to the taste of pumpkin seed oil. The oil has a unique and dominant nutty roasted flavor with a dense, almost thick texture, but the best (and young) oils have a light fruity taste masked by the mentioned nutty aroma! The taste is so specific, that it literally just blows you away!
How to recognize high quality pumpkin seed oil?
The oil quality is easily determined by color, texture and taste! The color of Central European pumpkin seed oil is deep dark, almost black! To determine the quality by color you must look at the edges of the oil drops! The edge of quality oil (when young) is dark green, but as the oil ages it gets a brown hue to it! Just by looking at the color of the droplet edge you can get a sense of the oil lifespan! Furthermore, if the color is not deep and black, there is also a chance the oil is diluted with sunflower oil!
High quality oil is almost always very, very thick! Pumpkin seed oil is one of the thickest oils available in the world and because of that fact, the locals often call it “the black gold”! When checking the texture look how the color drops move on your plate! The movement of the drop needs to be slow and steady, going out from the droplet center, outwards, which shows its high fat content.
The taste of quality oil is very nutty and concentrated, never diluted! If the taste is not very strong there is a chance the oil is diluted with sunflower oil!
Culinary use of pumpkin seed oil!
Pumpkin seed oil is no cooking oil! This means that by warming it up, the oil loses most of its culinary or health benefits! Therefore, the oil is best used at room temperature, or cold, where its pungent aromatics and unique taste rises and shines really through. Being it in salad dressings, on cheese plates, charcuterie, pure bread or even as exotic as ice cream toping (just delicious), give your fantasy no boundaries! As long as the dish is cold or at room temperature (or a little higher), use the oil wherever you like! We sure do it!
Is it really that healthy?
Yes, pumpkin seed oil is not only very tasty but also very healthy! There are a lot of health benefits related to it! Good prostate health and urinary health are very commonly mentioned in relation with pumpkin seed oil. It’s also good for skin care and for relieving the negative effects of menopause. Do we really need to mention more?
Why isn’t it available all over the world?
The best quality oil, for now, comes from Central Europe! Therefore, it’s just a rare and exotic find, but believe us, when you find it, it really pays off! There just isn’t that much production of high-quality pumpkin seed oil in the world (yet), but who knows, maybe the new big thing in the culinary world is pumpkin seed oil! It sure should be if you ask us!
How is it produced?
The production process of this oil is very specific because it’s one of the few oils in the world that are heated (and roasted, just like coffee)! But let’s start from the beginning.
- The pumpkins are harvested (in autumn) and the pumpkin seed is mechanically (or by hand if you have the patience) separated and dried.
- The seeds are mechanically grounded into a dark pumpkin seed mixture.
- Water and salt are added to the mixture, this addition starts the extraction of fats and proteins from the pumpkin seed mixture, which now becomes a thick paste!
- This paste goes into big roasting vats, where the paste gets its specific roasting aroma! Every oilman knows exactly the best moment when to stop the roasting process and begin the oil extraction from the paste! This moment is crucial for high quality oil!
- The roasted paste is now transferred into big cylindrical mechanical presses which, under high pressure, press “the black gold” of pumpkin seed oil out of the paste.
- The oil is transferred into stainless steel tanks where it’s settled.
- The clear oil is now bottled and marketed to the best culinary plates (and taste buds) in the world!
Cold pressed pumpkin seed oil!
The production process shown before is the “heated” process of oil production. The conventional oil production nowadays (in other oils) is mostly “cold” (like cold pressed olive oil for example), and the resulting cold pressed oil is therefore golden brown and without the specific, and very charming, nutty and roast aromas!
Where to buy pumpkin seed oil and what to look for?
Black pumpkin seed oil is a rare find! You can find it in delicacy stores and online shops! It’s quite a catch and really worth the struggle (we have always some oil at home and use it really often). When buying always look for 100 % pumpkin seed oil written on the label, because a lot of producers dilute the oil with cheaper oils (like sunflower) and sell it as classic oil. Also 100% pumpkin seed oils tend to be much more expensive than their cheaper (and diluted) counterparts!
Where is it produced?
The most known regions are the Central European countries Austria, Slovenia, Croatia and Hungary! Austria is the biggest producer of high-quality oil and the homeland of the Styrian oil pumpkin Cucurbita pepo var. Styriaca! The local names for pumpkin seed oil are Kürbiskernöl (Austria), koščično olje (Slovenia) and bučino ulje (Croatia). You can find very good high-quality oils coming from these countries!
What are the producing regions?
The known producing regions of high-quality oils are Steiermark in Austria, the neighboring Štajerska and Prekmurje region in Slovenia and the Međimurje region in Croatia. The climate is very similar in these regions, and almost always marked by changing warm and cold weather patterns formed by the presence of the Adriatic Sea and the Alps. This gives the oils its distinctive character!
Now you know everything there is about pumpkin seed oil, on top of that, you took one more big step on your culinary journey! Use your wisdom for yourself, or even better, educate the people around you, let your little pumpkin seeds grow, and maybe, just maybe, buy some good quality oil. It’s the stuff Greek gods drink in the morning to wake up hangover Zeus on a Sunday morning!
Therefore, try it out, if you find it in your local delicacy store, because the most beautiful things are always kept a secret! Now the choice is yours, will you keep this a secret, or share it with your friends and family! The choice is yours to make, my little pumpkin seed!
