The Good Seeds
However, there are a number of locally grown seeds that have been part of our diet for centuries and have a solid position in our food culture. Often we take them for granted because they are so small, easily overlooked, relatively cheap, not glamorous at all. Let's name three of them – poppy seeds, sunflowers seeds, pumpkin seeds… When was the last time you noticed them? Quite possibly you have consumed them in some form or another recently, but haven’t paid any attention.
“Sunflower seeds directly from the flower, before cleaning.” Image credit: OPG Sjemenke suncokreta FB
Out of the three mentioned, sunflower seeds are the least commonly used in our local cuisine. Actually, the only time you see them is probably in some breads or buns, or in multigrain bars. Other than that, they are used raw, on their own. When I was a child, in the old socialist system, roasted and salted sunflower seeds were a regular snack, something you give your kids to nibble on at parties or what you serve with beer while watching sports. In the times when there was a limited selection of „normal“ snacks like crisps, salty sticks, puffs, tiny pretzels and whatnot, simpler and more natural options like sunflower or pumpkin seeds could pull it off, but today it's harder to treat them as snacks. Unless you're on a really healthy diet. You can also encounter sunflower seeds as ingredients in some salads, vegetable spreads or sprinkled on creamy soups. The majority will end processed into sunflower oil.
“Poppy seeds, not so secret ingredient of an artisan ice cream.” Image credit: Slatka Tvornica Medenko
Poppy seeds, although not so often used, are the star or the finishing touch of some popular and traditional dishes and products. Does anyone remember pletenica s makom (braid with poppy seeds), a popular bakery product during my childhood? In today's amazingly wide selection of buns and rolls, it seems they've become obsolete, almost extinct. Still, you can occasionally find them in smaller, old-school bakeries, or even in Klara bakery chain. Speaking of old-fashioned, tjestenina s makom (pasta with poppy seeds) is one of those almost forgotten dishes our grandmas used to give kids for dinner when they wanted something sweet, in the same category as porridge. I guess they believed kids would sleep more peacefully after a portion of poppy. Makovnjača or poppy seed roll is still one of the most popular traditional desserts in central and eastern Croatia. Mak kocke is a simple poppy cake with apricot jam and chocolate glaze. For a modern twist, check out Medenko artisan ice creams containing poppy seeds, like the irresistible combination with lemon and honey.
“Treasure hidden inside the pumpkins.” Image credit: Bučino ulje Finta FB
Pumpkin seed is definitively the most versatile seed around, widely used. Of course, there's the beautiful pumpkin seed oil, but let's stick to food. Same as sunflower seeds, they can be used in bread rolls and pastry products, cakes and cookies, but also roasted and salted to get a healthy snack. Moreover, pumpkin seeds are a useful material for experimenting with different flavours, so you can find them coated in dark chocolate, as well as combined with chilli powder. Folks around Samobor tend to be very creative when it comes to pumpkin seeds. In Kršlinov mlin, a countryside family-owned restaurant with their own watermill, they roast trout with pumpkin seeds. And in Igomat, local meat producer, they put their in their famous salami. For a completely different texture, there’s the thick and aromatic pumpkin seed spread, either homemade or available from small producers.
“Pletenica s makom – braided poppy seed bun, an old-school bakery product.” Image credit: Taste of Croatia
Header image credit: Taste of Croatia
Author: Taste of Croatia, Morana Zibar