Guazi
 | This articlerelies largely or entirely on asingle source.(July 2022) |
 Guazi or kuaci | |
| Alternative names | Kuaci(Indonesian) |
|---|---|
| Course | Snack |
| Region or state | East AsiaandSoutheast Asia |
| Associatedcuisine | ChinaandIndonesia |
Guazi(Chinese:Qua tử;Indonesian:kuaci), also calledkwasi(Burmese:ကွာစေ့) refers to roastedplant seeds.It is a popular snack inChina,Malaysiaandoverseas Chinesecommunities, especially inIndonesia.While directly translated as "melonseeds "it usually refers to baked seeds of thesunflower,pumpkin,orwatermelon seeds.It is often served as anappetizerduringbanquets.[1]
History
[edit]The oldest documentation of the consumption ofguaziis recorded in theTaiping Huanyu Jithough it is unclear what specific variety of seed was eaten.[1] Watermelon seeds were the earliest to be consumed in China during theTang dynastyand only became widespread during theMingandQing dynasties.[1]
TheWanli Emperorwas described by Liu Ruoyu in theZhuo Zhong Zhito have “loved eating fresh watermelon seeds baked withsalt.”[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-eraartistFeng Zikaiobserved the popularity of eating seeds during his lifetime in an article on the matter titled "EatingGuazi".[1]Quan Yanchi wrote in his bookLeaders Around the Dining TablehowMao ZedongandLiu Shaoqienjoyed eatingguazi.[1]
Idiom
[edit]The process of shelling each seed in order to eat the food is time-consuming for a relatively minimal amount of substance.Guaziare often cracked with the teeth, described by the verb kè (Chinese:Hạp;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
[edit]See also
[edit]
References
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