pestka

Pestka is a Polish noun that refers to the seed or pit of a fruit. In ordinary speech it is used to denote the small inner seed inside many fruits as well as the hard outer shell of a stone fruit that contains that seed. The plural form is pestki.

Common usage covers a range of seeds encountered in daily life. Pestki jabłek are the seeds found in apples, while pestki śliwek or pestki brzoskwiń refer to the stones and seeds of plums and peaches. Pestki from other plants are widely eaten or processed as snacks: pestki słonecznika (sunflower seeds) and pestki dyni (pumpkin seeds) are popular, often sold roasted and salted. These seeds are valued for their nutritional content, including fats, protein, fiber, and minerals, and many are used to produce oils such as sunflower oil or pumpkin seed oil.

Safety and culinary notes: while most edible seeds are consumed without issue in typical portions, certain seeds contain compounds that can be harmful in large quantities. For example, seeds from some fruits may contain trace cyanogenic compounds; it is generally advised to consume seeds in moderation and follow dietary guidance.

Etymology and usage vary slightly by region and dialect, but pestka/pestki remains the standard term in Polish for the seeds or pits of fruits, as well as for many seeds harvested for snacks and oil production.