 | This article relies largely or entirely on a
single source. (July 2022) |
.jpg) Guazi or kuaci | |
| Alternative names | Kuaci ( Indonesian) |
|---|---|
| Course | Snack |
| Region or state | East Asia and Southeast Asia |
| Associated cuisine | China and Indonesia |
Guazi ( Chinese: 瓜子; Indonesian: kuaci), also called kwasi ( Burmese: ကွာစေ့) refers to roasted plant seeds. It is a popular snack in China, Malaysia and overseas Chinese communities, especially in Indonesia. While directly translated as " melon seeds" it usually refers to baked seeds of the sunflower, pumpkin, or watermelon seeds. It is often served as an appetizer during banquets. [1]
History
The oldest documentation of the consumption of guazi is recorded in the Taiping Huanyu Ji though it is unclear what specific variety of seed was eaten. [1] Watermelon seeds were the earliest to be consumed in China during the Tang dynasty and only became widespread during the Ming and Qing dynasties. [1]
The Wanli Emperor was described by Liu Ruoyu in the Zhuo Zhong Zhi to have “loved eating fresh watermelon seeds baked with salt.” [1] There is a folk song from the late Ming that described a girl gifting a bag of shelled seeds to her lover. [1] Consumption of pumpkin and sunflower seeds only became commonplace after the Qing. [1] Republican-era artist Feng Zikai observed the popularity of eating seeds during his lifetime in an article on the matter titled "Eating Guazi". [1] Quan Yanchi wrote in his book Leaders Around the Dining Table how Mao Zedong and Liu Shaoqi enjoyed eating guazi. [1]
Idiom
The process of shelling each seed in order to eat the food is time-consuming for a relatively minimal amount of substance. Guazi are often cracked with the teeth, described by the verb kè ( Chinese: 嗑; pinyin: kè), which requires some skill. This task can be viewed as wasteful and has been used to symbolize wasting time. It has also been used in context of wasting taxpayer money. [1]
Varieties
See also
References
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