Sunflower seeds are the edible fruits of the common sunflower (Helianthus annuus), each a teardrop kernel sheathed in a hard, often black-and-white striped hull. Mild, nutty and pleasantly oily, they are cracked and eaten by the handful, roasted and salted as a snack, baked into breads and granola, churned into sunflower butter and — above all — crushed into one of the world's leading cooking oils.