> > > I eat sunflower seeds. They're good. What I don't understand is the sunflower seeds/chewing gum analogy. You don't chew sunflower seeds and then spit them out. You don't even keep them in your mouth being chewed into a huge lump for hours. You just get some seeds and eat them in the normal fashion.
> >
> > Sunflower seeds generally fall into the "flavored things you keep in your mouth without swallowing" category. You don't necessarily CHEW sunflower seeds like you can chewing gum, but you still have to spit them out when they lose their flavor.
>
> That's what I needed clarification about. I can't believe anybody chewing or sucking sunflower seeds and then spitting them out. That's bizarre. Like I said, I always thought of sunflower seeds as a food which was consumed in the normal fashion: put some in your mouth, chew them up until they're swallowable, and then swallow them.
>
> Is this seed-spitting thing just something *you* do, or is this the way sunflower seeds are eaten in America? Either way, it's utterly weird.


You two are obviously discussing two different things (one thing, actually, in two different forms) without knowing it.

Sunflower seeds have shells. They are sold both in the shell and out of the shell. Brunnen_G is discussing the seeds which have already had their shells removed, which you just eat, or put on salads, or are baked in bread, or whatever. Adam is talking about seeds still in the shell, which are usually salted on the outside, and which are usually eaten by putting several in your mouth, sucking on them until both the salt is gone and the shells are softened enough to start breaking. Then the shells are usually spit out and the seeds eaten. I kind of have to laugh at Adam Bomb for never having actually eaten the seed inside the shell.

Clear?

Mou"who usually ends up spitting out the watermelon and swallowing the seeds"sie