Seeds

Sunflower seeds combine energy and good flavour

Hardly anyone can resist the charm of the big sunflowers that adorn our gardens in summer. However, do you also know what a sublime flavour sunflower seeds have and how rich in ingredients they are? When whole fields bloom in golden yellow splendour, this probably primarily serves the cultivation of the grey-brown seeds in the central inflorescence. Harvested and removed from their hulls, sunflower seeds become a delicious seed that enriches a variety of dishes with its nutty flavour and provides the body with valuable vital substances.

The sunflower was only introduced to Europe relatively late – in around 1550 – and it was initially only grown here as an ornamental plant. In Mexico and the Mississippi region, however, the local inhabitants had already been using it as a crop for 2,500 years and probably also harvested the sunflower seeds. Today, most of the seed-based sources of energy come from Ukraine, Russia or Argentina, but there are also large areas of cultivation in China and the USA. From there, the sunflower seeds are exported to Switzerland – sometimes with and sometimes without hulls – and often also in the form of sunflower oil, which brings the valuable ingredients to our kitchens for daily use.

Sunflower seeds – more than bird food

Sunflower seeds served as winter bird food from an early stage, but as much as we like to feed them to the birds – they are actually too good for that. Their wealth of valuable proteins, unsaturated fatty acids and vitamins makes them an important and at the same time tasty addition to meals for us humans. The following main ingredients characterise them:

• With 100 micrograms per 100 grams, sunflower seeds have the highest proportion of B-vitamin folic acid, which is particularly important during pregnancy and lactation.
• Out of all kernels, nuts and seeds, sunflower seeds contain the most magnesium, which helps your nerves and muscles work well.
• Vitamin E, which is also abundant, prevents free radicals and protects the body’s cells.
• Half of the recommended human daily intake of potassium is already covered with the 725 milligrams contained in 100 grams of sunflower seeds, which has a positive effect on blood pressure and electrolyte balance.

Use sunflower seeds on their own or as an addition to meals

In Russia, Turkey and Spain, sunflower seeds are traditionally chewed as a snack with the hull, which is then simply spat out again. The hulled seeds – lightly roasted or pure – are a delicious ingredient for a variety of dishes. Use the nutty flavour, for example for …

• home-made bread or rolls
• crispy gratin and casserole crusts
• spreads or pasta sauces.

Large sunflowers can usually already be identified from a distance – now you can also discover the energy and flavour of their small seeds!

Pine nuts – a precious commodity in every respect

When they are roasted very slightly in a pan without adding any fat, a wonderful scent spreads immediately throughout the room: It is not for nothing that pine nuts are considered to be one of the finest ingredients in Mediterranean cuisine. They are the hulled seeds of the coniferous tree of the same name cultivated throughout the Mediterranean. In Central and Northern Europe, too, the slightly smoky and resin-flavoured seeds are becoming increasingly popular – and rightly so!

However, pine nuts have their price and are usually not available in large quantities. This is because the pine tree takes three years to form pine cones in which the small white delicate kernels mature. That’s why only two kilograms of kernels can be harvested from a tree every year – and it is all done by hand! So we should plan their use all the more carefully. This is because they not only simply taste delicious, but they also provide our body with a whole range of important ingredients that have a positive effect on fitness and health.

Pine nuts have more to offer than just their irresistible flavour

Their fans have always suspected that pine nuts not only taste good, but are also beneficial to the body. Modern food analysis gives us information as to what the reason for this is very likely to be:

You should always consciously savour pine nuts

Of course, you can also quite simply eat pine nuts just as they are. However, they are really too good for that – not just because of the steep price. Especially when roasted, they give many dishes a distinctive flavour:

Try this and other methods – and immerse yourself in the Mediterranean way of life.

• Of all foods, pine nuts have the highest proven proportion of selenium – similar to vitamin E, this trace element protects the body’s cells from free radicals.
• 100 grams of pine nuts almost cover the human body’s recommended daily intake of phosphorus, which ensures healthy cell structure and strong bones.
• Niacin, formerly also known as vitamin B3, is also an ingredient of pine nuts – and is involved in many enzymatic processes and important for the regeneration of skin, muscles and nerves.
• Pesto alla Genovese gets its delicious flavour from, among other things, crushed pine nuts.
• In Middle Eastern cuisine, they are part of many couscous or rice dishes.

Roasted pine nuts also taste fantastic over goat’s cheese and – together with raisins – in spinach.