Eating Sunflower Seeds

Eating sunflower seeds is still very popular in the U.S. and other countries in North and South America. A lot of the sunflower seeds that are sold in U.S. have been roasted and salted while still in the shell. This type is sunflower seed is a very popular snack and can also be obtained in seasoned versions, such as Cajun seeds, ranch seeds, chilly seeds and sour cream & onion seeds. A majority of the snack seeds are sold during the summer when people enjoy eating sunflower seeds while participating in outdoor activities.

A common way of eating sunflower seed in the U.S. is to pop a handful of seeds into the mouth and placing them in the left cheek. A seed is then derived from the cheek, the shell is cracked open with the teeth and the internal part is devoured. The shell is subsequently disposed of, and the seed muncher goes on to the next seed. This way of eating sunflower seeds requires a lot of practice and is most popular among school kids, truckers and outdoor sport enthusiasts. Players as well as spectators like to snack on sunflower seeds in this fashion during baseball, football and basketball matches.

The early Spanish explorers brought sunflower seeds back from the Americas and eating sunflower seeds soon grow fashionable in Spain. From Spain, it eventually spread to other parts of Europe, including Russia where several sunflower hybrids were developed. The first seeds that were brought to Europe by Spanish voyagers were planted as decoration and the seeds were considered rare and exotic curiosities rather than a part of an every day diet. The seeds were also frequently used to treat medical conditions. Today, roasted and salted sunflower seeds are a popular snack all over Spain, especially among women and young people. Spanish people tend to eat one seed at a time rather then engage in the “Eat & Spit” method that is popular in the U.S. In Europe, soccer is more popular than baseball, football and basketball and the Spanish people tend to eat a lot of sunflower seeds while watching or participating in soccer competitions. Earlier, eating sunflower seeds was closely linked to cinemas in Spain, but today the association between outdoor activities and seed eating have grown more similar to the one found in the United States. During the Spanish soccer season, huge amounts of sunflower seeds are imported from the U.S.

From the and Americas and Europe, the practice of eating sunflower seed eventually spread all the way to China. Eating various nuts and seeds is a part of the Chinese food tradition and it was not hard for them to take the tasty little sunflower seed to their hearts. Today, you can purchase salted and roasted sunflower seeds as well as seasoned varieties in China. Eating sunflower seed is especially popular during Chinese New Year and other holidays. Sunflower seeds are cheaper than many other popular seeds and nuts in China and a lot of the sunflower seeds are grown locally. American sunflower seeds are also imported, since they fill another niche than the homegrown ones.