I was mystified when I came across pepitas in an ingredient list recently. I had never heard of them before and I needed to know what I could substitute them with, so that my plans could continue unaltered. There was no picture with the recipe nor a clue what they might be. Google to the rescue!
Pepitas are nothing but pumpkin seeds. They are a popular snack in Mexico and are usually roasted and salted. They can be eaten hulled, or not. Raw or toasted. Salted or not. The kernels are eaten by themselves, too. They are also ground and used to make mole, a delicious Mexican sauce.
I found roasted and salted pumpkin seeds in my local King Sooper's (Kroger's) in the aisle with snacks and nuts. We ate these unhulled till I realized that the quantity was being fast depleted. Then it became a game to see who could crack open the shell and pull the kernel out in one piece. The game worked cos all the seeds got hulled! I put aside as many as I needed, the rest disappeared immediately.
For us, these could very well displace peanuts in the hierarchy of nuts that please.
