Chapter II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

This chapter present the and review of related literature and studies related in the use of

Squash Seeds for making polvoron.

RELATED LITERATURE

A. Squash Seed

Characteristics

According to Emmanuel Lad (2018) Squash seeds are an edible seed typically

roasted for consumption. The seeds are typically flat and asymmetrically oval, have a

white outer husk, and are light green in color after the husk is removed. Some cultivars

are husk less, and are grown only for their edible seed. They have an approximate weight

between 50 and 250 mg as well as small and big fruits. The large size provides an

excellent reserve that favors the germination and establishment of the seeds.

Utilization

According to Ware (2015) Squash seeds have become a common snack food and

are even sold already shelled. Filipinos refer to them as buto ng kalabasa. When removed

from the flesh of a Squash, they can be rinsed and roasted, either plain or with other

flavors such as oils and spices, to create a delicious, crunchy snack. They may be small,

but squash seeds are little power houses of nutrients and health benefits.
 Squash seeds are a good source of healthful oils, magnesium, and other nutrients

that enhance the health of the heart, bones, and other functions. Seeds, in general, are

considered excellent sources trusted Source of potassium, magnesium, and calcium. Plant

seeds are also a good source of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and antioxidants.

The fatty acids in Squash seeds contain a range trusted Source of beneficial nutrients,

such as sterols, squalene, and tocopherols. Researchers have described the fatty acid

profile of seeds, grains, and legumes as “favorable.”

Nutritive Value

According to Brown (2018) Squash seeds may be small, but they’re packed full of

valuable nutrients. Eating only a small amount of them can provide you with a substantial

quantity of healthy fats, magnesium and zinc. Because of this, Squash seeds have been

associated with several health benefits. These include improved heart health, prostate

health and protection against certain cancers.

Squash seeds are a great source of protein and unsaturated fats, including omega-

6 fatty acids. They also contain a good range of nutrients, including iron, calcium, B2,

folate and beta-carotene, which the body converts into vitamin A.

Medicinal Uses

Villines (2016) said that Squash seed are rich in nutrients and may have many

health benefits. Squash seed are a good source of healthful oils, magnesium, and other

nutrients that enhance the health of the heart, bones, and other functions. Seeds, in

general, are considered excellent sources trusted source of potassium, magnesium, and

calcium.
The seeds are nutrient- and calorie-rich, with especially high content of fat (particularly

linoleic acid and oleic acid), protein, dietary fiber, and numerous micronutrients. Squash

seed can refer either to the hulled kernel or unhulled whole seed, and most commonly

refers to the roasted product used as a snack.

Squash seeds are one of the most nutritionally rich vegetable by-products out

there, having a high content of unsaturated fat, protein, folate, beta carotene, vitamin C,

vitamin B1, fiber, iron, calcium, and potassium. These seeds were originally a staple food

for countries like China, United States, India, and Mexico and it is only recently that the

whole world is awakening to the health benefits of these seeds.

Modern scientific research has pointed out how squash seeds, when eaten daily in some

form, can decrease the risk of cardiovascular diseases and colon cancer as they boost up

the immune function while also regulating cholesterol and blood pressure. Squash seeds

are delicious treats filled with many health benefits. They promote prostate health, help in

weight loss, treat diabetes and arthritis, relieve stress, protect the intestines, and also act

as an aphrodisiac.

B. Polvoron

According to Lynne Olver (2017) polvorones are Spanish shortbread dessert that

are now only mostly consumed during the holiday season. Originally these dessert were

discovered in Andalusia, dating back to the 16th Century. Like most famous traditional

dishes, Polvorones were created due to the excess of certain ingredients. For these

delicious cookies, it was the abundance of lard and cereal.

 Culinary historians stated that, these sweet biscuits did not become popular in

Spain until 1870. A woman named La Colchona made improvements to the already

established recipe. She dried the flour to ensure the cookies lasted for more days. Thus,

more importantly, this technique created the the harder outer shell of the cookie with a

soft crumble in the middle.

TYPES OF POLVORON:

Wilford (2021) (A.) Ube polvoron- this polvoron recipe is made from toasted

flour, granulated sugar, powdered milk and melted butter, pressed them into oval shape

Polvoron molder, coated with purple chocolate and rapped with Japanese paper

(papel de japon) or cellophane paper. (B) Matcha Polvoron- has a crumbling texture and

the rich taste of matcha.

This typical Spanish shortbread dessert has been reinvented adding real Japanese

Uji Matcha to the traditional recipe! It also contains premium flour from France.

(C) Cookies and cream- If you're a fan of the cookies and cream flavor, give this

polvoron recipe a go! This cookies and cream polvoron mix in rushed chocolate

sandwich cookies, powdered milk, and sugar until well combined. Stir in melted butter

until mixture resembles wet sand. (D) Almond and pecan polvoron- traditional Filipino

polvoron is a pressed no-bake cookie made with toasted flour, powdered milk, sugar and

melted butter. Use almond flour or crushed nuts to give it a different flavor and texture.
B. Standard Recipe for Polvoron

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups unsalted butter, melted

1 cup white sugar

1 cup powdered milk

1 tablespoon lemon extract

Equipment:

Sauce pan, Mixing bowl, Wire whisk, Sifter, Polvoron molder, Measuring Cups,

Measuring Spoon, Weighing scale, Cellophane.

Procedures:

Step 1: Toast the flour in a non-stick skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly to

prevent burning, until it turns light brown, about 5 minutes. Let cool, at least 15 minutes.

Step 2: Cut waxed paper into twenty 4-inch squares.

Step 3: Stir butter, sugar, powdered milk, and lemon extract into the flour. Mix well. Fill

a polvoron mold tightly with a portion of the mixture. Press the plunger down to release

the candy onto a square of waxed paper. Wrap candy in the waxed paper and twist the

ends. Repeat until all of the candy mixture is used up.

RELATED STUDIES:

The Related Studies of this research study are the following:

Polvoron

According to, (Anna Keyrlle 2015) a polvoron is a type of heavy, soft and crumbly

Spanish shortbread made of flour, sugar, milk, and nuts. They are produced largely in

Andalusia, where there are about 70 mills in that are portion of a mob that produces

polvorones and mantecados. Under the name mantecados, these Sweets are a traditional

readying of other countries of the Iberian Peninsula every bit good. The Filipino version

of polvoron uses a big sum of powdered milk which is left dry every bit good as toasted

flour and butter or margarine alternatively of lard. The main ingredient in polvoron

making is flour. Flour is an ingredient used in many foods, flour is a fine powder made

from cereals or other starchy food sources. It is most commonly made from wheat, but

also maize, rye, barley, and rice, amongst many other grasses and non-grain.

Flour is the key ingredient of bread, which is the staple food in many countries, and

therefore the availability of adequate supplies of flour has often been a major economic

and political issue. (Theme Isle, 2017) Flour can also be made from squash. Squash is a

long and narrow with dark grained skin and it somewhat resembles a cucumber. Squash

can be made into several products other than ordinary used. It can be made into flour. The

squash flour is prepared by peeling and slicing two inches thick. They are dried until

brittle and grind into fine grains. Squash flour contains vitamin A, an essential nutrient

for the promotion and maintenance of good eyesight. (Anna Kerylle, 2015)
 Elisa Maloberti (2019) entitled “Quality evaluation of tapuy lees-substituted

polvoron” this study of processing of tapuy, or Philippine rice wine, generates residue

called lees. To minimize waste from tapuy manufacture and effectively utilize this by-

product, lees was processed into a value-added flour. Lees flour was substituted to all-

purpose flour in the preparation of polvoron at 0, 33, 50, 67 and 100% (g/g flour)

substitution levels. Rice wine lees is a major by-product generated in the Philippine rice

wine or tapuy production. Flour was developed using tapuy lees and used as a functional

ingredient in polvoron. Preparation of flour involved washing of the pressed lees,

filtration, sterilization, drying and grinding to a fine powder. The water activity of the

sample was <0.400 and microbial loads were within acceptable limits, with 2.30 × 104

cfu/g total plate count and 2.50 cfu/g mold count. The flour had high crude protein

(45.03 ± 0.14%) and dietary fiber (13.10 ± 0.08%) levels. When used in polvoron, up to

50% (w/w) of lees can be substituted to all-purpose flour with minimal effect on quality.

Using 33% lees, significant improvement in crude protein content was noted, without

adversely affecting the taste and overall sensory quality of the product.

Results demonstrated the feasibility of producing a functional food ingredient

using a major by-product of tapuy production. O.L Otutu & D.D Oluniran (2017) entitled

“Innovation: milkfish offal as “polvoron” a study utilizing milkfish bones, which is

considered offal or waste by the boneless bangus or milkfish industry, as additional

ingredient in making polvoron. Using powdered milkfish (bangus) bones to decrease

waste materials from fish deboning and prevent diseases such as osteoporosis due to

calcium deficiency, to utilize the bones as an ingredient in polvoron by grinding it into

powder. Three kinds of polvoron had been produced by the study.

 The difference is in the formulation that is, the ratio of bone meal powder to

powdered milk. The ordinary polvoron has a ratio of one part bone meal to one-half part

powdered milk; semi-special has a 1:1 ratio, and the special polvoron has a 1:2 bone meal

to milk ratio. It is reported that majority of the panelists who evaluated product

acceptability in terms of odor, color, flavor, and texture said that they “like the polvoron

very much.

Johry Pragya (2016) entitled "Development of polvoron from potato flour and

their quality evaluation" Meerut to utilize the potato flour for preparation of potato

chocolate polvoron. The potato tubers were procured from the experimental farm of

Central Potato Research Institute (CPRI), Modipuram for the present studies and other

materials viz. milk powder, sugar and PET jars were procured from the local market. The

tubers were thoroughly sorted, washed, peeled, sliced, blanched, dried and milled into

flour. In this experiment potato flour was blended with wheat flour in ratio of 30:70%,

40:60%, 50:50%. The proximate composition of the various flour blends used for the

preparation of biscuits were determined using standard methods.

The phyco-chemical analysis and sensory evaluation was done to know the

acceptability of Potato-chocolate. Based on nutritional and sensory evaluation, cookies

containing 30% potato flour scored high score for over-all acceptability.