Guazi
Roasted seeds popular in Chinese and Indonesian snack culture.
Guazi, also known as kuaci or kwasi, is a snack of roasted plant seeds popular in China, Malaysia, and overseas Chinese communities, particularly in Indonesia. Though the name translates to "melon seeds," it typically refers to baked sunflower, pumpkin, or watermelon seeds. These seeds often appear as an appetizer at banquets.
Quick Facts
- Course
- Snack
- Region
- East Asia and Southeast Asia
- National cuisine
- China, Indonesia Malaysia and Vietnam
Facts from the source article.
Did You Know?
- The process of shelling each seed is time-consuming for minimal substance, and the verb kè describes cracking seeds with the teeth.
- Eating guazi has been used as a symbol of wasting time and, in some contexts, of wasting taxpayer money.
History
The oldest documentation of guazi consumption appears in the Taiping Huanyu Ji, though the specific seed variety is unclear. Watermelon seeds were the earliest consumed in China during the Tang dynasty, becoming widespread only during the Ming and Qing dynasties. The Wanli Emperor was described as loving fresh watermelon seeds baked with salt. A late Ming folk song tells of a girl gifting shelled seeds to her lover. Pumpkin and sunflower seed consumption became common after the Qing. Republican-era artist Feng Zikai wrote an article titled 'Eating Guazi,' and Quan Yanchi's book records that Mao Zedong and Liu Shaoqi enjoyed eating guazi.
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