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10/09/2001 Archived Entry: "Pumpkin Seed Oil"

A few weeks ago an Austrian woman called my show and asked where she could buy “pumpkin seed oil.” Funnily enough, I knew the answer. You see, Becky Bennett, my producer, Sean, my assistant, and I had just tasted pumpkin seed oil for the first time at the New York Fancy Foods Show earlier this summer. We were amazed when we dipped our bread into this deep, rich flavorful oil. Who ever thought pumpkin seeds produced such a fine product?

We learned that pumpkin seed oil is a product of the Styria region of Austria, also called Steinmark, in the northeast area of the country. Apparently, it is not made anywhere else. The producers and importers of pumpkin seed oil ramble on about the health benefits. They claim it has been used to maintain good breast and ovary health in women, prostate health in men, and bladder health in everyone. They back up these claims with medical proof and I trust there is some truth to them. But, I’m more interested in the taste. It has a wonderful and unique flavor. No, it doesn’t taste anything like olive oil. No, it doesn’t taste like peanut or corn oil. It has a rich, very nutty flavor. It tastes like pumpkin seeds (surprise!). It smells of subtle roasting.

This oil is expensive. But so is really good olive oil and it should be used like really good olive oil – sparingly, as a condiment. Use it to dress salads or to drizzle over fish, chicken or meats. It is particularly good, drizzled over goat cheese or other fresh, soft cheese – perhaps as part of a salad. It’s great on toasted coarse bread – a bruschetta. I haven’t tried this, but I keep imagining it would be good on some fruits, such as cantaloupe or sliced oranges. The price is so high because it is so difficult to produce. One liter of oil takes the seeds of 33 pumpkins to produce. The task of separating the seeds from the pumpkins is very labor intensive, as anyone who has tried to extract the seeds from the tough membranes of the pumpkin can attest. Sean tells me that, as a New Englander, he always did this with his father, then rinsed off the seeds in a colander so they could be toasted on a cookie sheet with plenty of salt.

Prices for pumpkin seed oil range from $20 a liter up to $50, depending on the supplier. You can buy the oil at Dean & Deluca on 560 Broadway in Manhattan (212-226-6800), or The Sweet Life on 63 Hester Street in Manhattan (212-598-0092), or Morscher Pork Store at 58-44 Catalpa Avenue in Ridgewood, NY (718-821-1040).

If you can’t make it to these stores, you can call a supplier directly who can mail order it to you. Kim Ginsberg, who discovered the oil on a wine trip to Austria, sells the oil at the most affordable price. You can call her at 718-956-1577 to place an order. The company that provided samples to us at the Fancy Foods Show is also happy to take mail or phone orders. Their name is “Austria’ s Finest, Natrually” and you can write to them at HELCO, P.O. Box 69, Mount Vernon, VA 22121 or you can call them from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. EST at 800-348-5766.