Pepita (from Mexican , "little seed of squash") is a Spanish culinary term for the
pumpkin seed, the edible
seed of a
pumpkin or other
cultivar of
squash (
genus Cucurbita). The seeds are typically rather flat and
asymmetrically oval, and light green in color and may have a white outer
hull. Some cultivars are
hulless, and are grown only for their seed. The seeds are
nutrient-rich, with especially high content of
protein,
dietary fiber and numerous
micronutrients. The word can refer either to the hulled kernel or unhulled whole seed, and most commonly refers to the
roasted end product.