The Ultimate Guide to Nuts.
Since the earliest of time and even before agriculture was used by the Greeks to have
better food resources, `Nuts' was a stable food and nutritional source in the diet of
manhood in the dark ages.
During those times, nuts were plentiful, as there were much more forests as today, and
well-liked for their easy storage, which enabled people to keep them for times in which food
was hard to find.
(Winter, rainy season, etc).
There is evidence that as far back as the second century B.C., the Romans distributed
sugar almonds on special occasions such as marriages and births.
Nuts have their place in all cultures and through almost all cuisine around the world.
Nuts are liked by people of all ages for their subtle taste and high fat and carbohydrate
content.
It is this subtle taste that Chefs like when creating new dishes and variations.
Descriptio & Species.
Under the category nuts, we understand anything from a seed to a legume or tuber.
The 7 peanut, as an example, is a legume, the Brazil nut and macadamia nuts are seeds
and almonds are the seed of a fruit similar to a peach.
Botanically nuts are single-seeded fruits with a hard or leathery shell that contain
an edible kernel, which is enclosed in a soft inner skin.
Generally, all nut trees grow slowly but live longer.
Trees of walnut, chestnut or pecan continue to produce nuts, often more than hundred years
after planting.
Nut trees of any species are found all over the world.
Almonds, for example, are found in California, Spain, Morocco, Italy, and even Australia,
whereas the walnut can be found anywhere from North America to the Andes and Persia to Australia.
Asia also has a great variety of nuts.
Ginkgo nuts in China, candle nuts in Indonesia and Malaysia, coconut in throughout southern
Asia, cashew nuts in India and Malaysia and the Philippines, chestnuts in China and Japan,
and the water chestnut which is found in China, Japan, Korea, and the East Indies.
Some of the better known nuts: Almond The scientist considers the almond as a stone
fruit, much like cherries, peaches, and prunes.
Because most people only know the seed (stone) of this fruit, it is generally accepted as
a nut.
Almond on the tree, look like small green peaches.
When ripe the shell will open and reveal the nut in its shell.
There are various varieties of almonds.
The bitter almond is, in fact, the kernel of the apricot, which was found growing wild
in China as far back as the late Tang Dynasty (AD 619-907).
This same apricot was taken to Europe and became the apricot fruit, which is now enjoyed
all over the world.
The bitter almond kernel is toxic in its raw state and must be boiled quickly and poached
in an oven before being further used.
It is primarily used in Chinese desserts like the almond bean curd.
The sweet almond is generally confined for fresh consumption.
In 1986, California alone produced 70,000 tons of almonds, which is half of the world's
production.
The almond has been cultivated around the Mediterranean since ancient times and can
still be found wild in Algeria and around the black sea.
Sweet almonds can be bought whole, shelled, cut in 1/2 with skin, without skin, flaked,
blanched, slivered ground roasted or salted.
they are used for snacks, marzipan, confectionery, and desserts as well as for the production
of liqueur essence, oil, and cosmetic products.
Almonds are nutrient-rich—they are a good source of fiber and protein.
They are also a good source of healthy, unsaturated fats (monounsaturated, such that is found
in olive oil).
In addition, almonds are an excellent source of vitamin E, manganese, and magnesium."
Every one-ounce serving (about 23 almonds) provides 6 grams of protein and 4 grams of
fiber, plus vitamin E (35 percent DV [daily value]), magnesium (20 percent DV), riboflavin
(20 percent DV), calcium (8 percent DV) and potassium (6 percent DV).
In addition, almonds are a low-glycemic index food."
Almonds are one of the complete sources of energy as well as nutrients.
The nuts, especially, are rich in mono-unsaturated fatty acids like oleic, and palmitoleic acids
that help in lowering LDL or "bad cholesterol" and increasing HDL or "good cholesterol" in
the human body.
Research studies suggest that the Mediterranean diet which is excellent in monounsaturated
fatty acids helps prevent coronary artery disease and strokes by favoring healthy blood
lipid profile.
The nuts packed with many important B-complex groups of vitamins such as riboflavin, niacin,
thiamin, pantothenic acid, vitamin B-6, and folates.
Altogether, these vitamins work as co-factors for enzymes during cellular substrate metabolism
inside the human body.
Almonds are naturally gluten-free and are a versatile, nutrient-rich.
All forms of almonds, including almond flour, almond milk and almond butter, are excellent
additions for those choosing a gluten-free lifestyle."
Bunya Pine Nut.
The bunya tree is a member of the pine family and grows almost everywhere in Australia.
Originally the trees originated in the area of Brisbane and Rockhampton in Queensland
Australia.
Only the female trees are producing a 2cm x 2.5cm nut in the pinecone.
In the old days, the bunya pine nuts were stable food for the aborigines and also used
in ceremonials.
These days, the nuts gain in popularity through the trend of native food in Australia (bush
food) in recent years.
The nut is rich in the carbohydrate, similar to the chestnut, and therefore used more like
a potato than a nut. the bunya nuts can be eaten raw but are usually boiled for easy
removing of the skin.
Shelled nuts are then butter fried and flavored with pepper or sugar, or added to stews and
soups.
Red Bopple Nut The Red Bopple nuts Also called Hicksbeachia pinnatifolia are a relative of
the macadamia nut, and native to the tropical rainforest of the East Coast of Australia.
The nut is about the same size as a hazelnut and has a thick (0.5cm 0 1cm), woody husk
with a bright red outer skin, which only appears if the nut is fully ripe.
In contrary to most other nuts, the red bopple nut is very low on fat but very high in calcium
and potassium.
the low-fat content makes this nut very easily digestible.
The nuts are eaten raw or toasted.
Coconut Coconut "He who plants a coconut tree", the saying
goes, "plants food and drink, vessels and clothing, a habitation for himself and a heritage
for his children".
Indeed every part of the coconut is used, but only the coconut milk and the coconut
meat are foods.
The shell is used as charcoal, the husk is used to make ropes, clothing, and brushes,
and the trunk of the tree and leaves are used for roofs of houses and building material
respectively.
The fruit of the palm `Cocos nucifera' has an edible kernel and therefore qualifies as
a nut.
The palm tree is native to the Philippines, Malaysia, Brazil, and Indonesia, and can produce
50 – 100 nuts a year, over a lifespan of 70 years.
Coconut palms grow best close to the seaside but have been proven to withstand high altitude,
although the production rate is diminishing as further away from the sea the tree grows.
The large thick green pod encloses a brown fibrous husk around a brown shell, which contains
a layer of soft white flesh and the clear water in the center.
Sub-species found only on one island of Seychelles, in the Indian Ocean, produces a nut often
weighing more than 20 kg, which needs 10 years to ripen.
Coconuts are the worlds most commercially used nuts.
Especially the meat, or copra, as it is called after sun drying, is vital for the export
industries, in coconut growing countries.
The coconut is an important food source especially in South East Asia, India, Brazil, and the
South Pacific Islands.
The copra can be brought shredded or desiccated and is used in confectioneries, ice creams
and to coat chicken or fish for frying.
However much of it is pressed for its oil also called coconut butter as it is white
and fatty at room temperature.
Not only is it used for cooking and to make margarine, but it also goes into soaps, detergents,
shampoos, face cream, perfumes, and candles.
It is also a major ingredient in glycerin, synthetic rubber, safety glass, and hydraulic
brake fluid.
Coconut juice or milk is the natural juice of the nut, but not the water inside the coconut.
It is won by shredding the raw coconut meat, then adding water and straining the mixture
through a cotton cloth.
The coconut milk has then the consistency and color of skim milk and is available canned
or frozen.
Coconuts can add flavor, variety and--best of all--healthy nutrients to your diet.
Coconuts are rich in lauric acid, which is known for being antiviral, antibacterial and
antifungal, and boosts the immune system.
Fresh coconut juice is one of the highest sources of electrolytes known to man and can
be used to prevent dehydration, for instance in cases of diarrhea or strenuous exercise,
instead of a sports drink.
Some remote areas of the world even use coconut juice intravenously, short-term, to help hydrate
critically ill patients and in emergency situations.
health benefits of coconuts and coconut oil include:
• Help you lose weight, or maintain your already good weight
• Reduce the risk of heart disease • Lower your cholesterol
• Improve conditions in those with diabetes and chronic fatigue
• Improve Crohn's, IBS, and other digestive disorders
• Prevent other disease and routine illness with its powerful antibacterial, antiviral
and antifungal agents • Increase metabolism and promotes healthy
thyroid function • Boost your daily energy
• Rejuvenate your skin and prevent wrinkles CANDLENUT(also known by Aleurites Moluccanus)
The candlenut gets her name, from when threaded tightly on the midrib of a palm leaf it has
been used a primitive candle.
More recently, the nuts were grounded to a paste, mixed with copra (grated coconut meat)
and then formed into a candle.
Candlenut Candlenuts are the seed of the candleberry tree native to Indonesia and Malaysia but
widely spread throughout South East Asia, the South Pacific and Sri Lanka.
The nut has a very high content on fat and is valued for the extracted oil for lighting
as well as cooking.
The nut is colored gray to black, about 5cm in diameter, with a thin, papery husk containing
one or two nuts.
Candlenut oil for lighting purposes is extracted by roasting the nuts when they are only half
ripe as oil for cooking is extracted by roasting the nuts when they are fully ripe.
For human consumption, the nuts have to be roasted as raw once have been causing sicknesses.
Ripe candlenuts are roasted, then pounded into a meal and mixed with salt, chilies or
shrimp paste for usage in curries or as a spicy condiment to curries.
Palm Nut Palm Nut The palmyra palm native to most South East
Asian Countries produces a hard, shiny nut, from which a sweetish sap or gel is extracted.
While this sap is used in the Indonesian cuisine for soups and desserts, it is on other well-known
product that is begin produced out of the palmyra palm – The Palm Sugar (gula malacca).
There are no reliable data available on the nutritional value of the palm nut, but it
is widely known that the fat is saturated.
Candlenuts are excellent sources of fiber, and that's why their inclusion in the diet
can be very beneficial for the GI tract.
Regular use of these tree nuts can help facilitate the digestive process.
Consuming them on a regular basis also helps promote regular bowel movement because the
oils they contain serve as mild laxatives.
One of the many nutrients in candlenuts is potassium, which is well-known for its ability
to lower high blood pressure.
The way potassium works is this: it causes the relaxation of the walls of the blood vessels,
allowing the blood to flow more freely throughout your system.
This helps save the heart from being overworked and becoming large.
Regular consumption of candlenuts helps save the joints from becoming achy and swollen
due to regular wear and tear.
Including candlenuts in the diet more often is also good for keeping the bones strong.
Candlenut can help you Overcome Insomnia Because candlenut has melatonin that will make you
relax and quickly fall asleep.
This is good for people with bad insomnia.
Macadamia nut Native to Queensland and New South Wales in Australia, the macadamia nut
takes its name from Dr. John McAdam, a scientist and early promoter of the cultivation Australia.
The macadamia trees are evergreen and reach a height of up to 20 meters.
The edible seed of the silk oat tree has a very hard, light brown shell, 2 – 3cm in
diameter.
In 1888, macadamia trees have been planted in Hawaii where through careful cloning and
hybridization, it became an important commercial product.
Today, macadamia nuts are also cultivated in South Africa, Zimbabwe, California, and
parts of South and Central America.
It is very difficult to crack the macadamia nut as it's shell is very hard and so tight
to the kernel that when cracked the nut is smashed.
In Hawaii, American scientist developed a way of separating the kernel from the shell
by shrinking them in drying bins.
They then developed the first commercial cracker.
It was through these two developments that the macadamia nut could be formed to the commercial
importance it has today.
This is also the reason why macadamia nuts are only available already de-shelled.
Macadamia nuts also are valued for their oil and the macadamia nut butter.
They are available roasted and salted.
When buying macadamia nuts, give care that they are packed in an airtight or vacuum bags,
as they become easily rancid once opened.
Macadamia nuts are used for confectioneries or as snacks but also gain in popularity in
the kitchen as they have a very mild and subtle taste and add texture to salads, and hot dishes.
Its oil makes an excellent vinaigrette and cold sauces.
Macadamia nuts are high in fat, but they also provide a boost of monounsaturated fat, considered
a "good" fat.
Monounsaturated fat or MUFAs come from plant sources and may be helpful in lowering your
LDL or "bad" cholesterol.
Macadamia nuts also provide fiber.
Water Chestnuts The name refers to a nut like tuber of an
aquatic plant called Trapa.
The plants are common to several parts of the world but are mainly used in Japan, China,
and Thailand where it is also a sought-after ingredient in its cuisines.
The trapa plant roots in ponds and lakes and sends, its' leaves to the surface, similar
to a water lily.
The water chestnut grows on the roots underneath the water surface.
Water chestnuts are flat and round with a diameter of 5 – 7cm.
They have a soft black skin and white flesh similar to the flesh of a coconut.
Once peeled, they can be eaten raw, or dried and are a well-liked ingredient because of
its crunchy texture, and sweet subtle taste.
Water chestnuts are also boiled and made into flour, which is used for thickening of sauces
and dishes, much like cornstarch.
Chestnuts are thought to have originated in Southern Europe and Persia even though they
are also found in China, Japan, and Northern America.
The nuts of the chestnut tree have a brown shiny color and leathery shell.
they can be eaten raw, but mostly are consume boiled, baked or roasted or as a chestnut
puree sweetened or unsweetened.
They are also sold in syrup as marron glasses.
Chestnuts are the only nuts, which are treated as a vegetable because they contain more starch
(30%) and less fat 3%.
Chestnuts are also made into a flour high on fiber and starch.
Chestnuts, unlike other nuts and seeds, are relatively low in calories and fats.
Nonetheless, they are rich sources of minerals, vitamins, and phytonutrients that immensely
benefit health.
They are an excellent source of dietary fiber; provide 8.1 g (about 21% of RDI) per 100 g.
Chestnuts are exceptionally rich in vitamin-C. 100 g nuts provide 43 mg of vitamin-C. like
all nuts Chestnuts are a rich source of mono-unsaturated fatty acids like oleic acid.
Cashew Nut Originating in the West Indies and native
to the north of Brazil, Portuguese explorers introduced the nut to India and Malaysia as
well as parts of Africa.
The hard-shelled nut grows inside the cashew apple.
When mature the cashew nut appears at the end of the red or yellow apple.
The cashew tree is a member of the poison ivy family and farmers must take great precautions
when extracting the nuts.
The hard shell contains an oil, which irritates the skin, so the nuts are heated to extract
the kernel.
The smoke and steam, which occurs, however, may still be harmful to skin and eyes.
When heated the cashew nuts are harmless and may be extracted.
Ginkgo Nut The ginkgo is the prehistoric maidenhair tree,
which survives as a wild tree only in China.
The fruit looks like a tiny plum but has a foul and bitter shell.
the Chinese wait for the smelly hull to full off, then paint the nuts and use them for
festive decorations, before they crack them open to eat the nut.
In Japan and Korea, ginkgo nuts are skewered and then grilled, which turns the nuts color
from yellow to green.
In China, the ginkgo nut is a popular ingredient to vegetarian dishes.
The nuts can be obtained fresh or canned.
Hazelnut/FilbertsThe nut of the hazel bush is native to Europe
and North America and was mentioned in writings as far back as 2838 B.C., and was credited
of currying many human ills as well as being considered excellent for Boldness and use
as a hair tonic.
Some say that the name filbert comes from Saint Philibert, a French abbot whose feast
day on 22 August coincides with the ripening of the first nuts in the Northern hemisphere.
Hazelnuts have a very hard shell, which has to be cracked by a nutcracker before getting
to the kernel.
Hazelnuts are available, raw, blanched, or toasted, chopped, ground, cooking as well
as hazelnut liquor.
PEANUT The peanut is not a true nut.
It is the seed of a leguminous plant with a soft, brownish colored brittle shell and
belongs to the Botanical family of beans and peas.
But they are usually considered along with the nuts because of they're physical characteristics
and nutritional value.
The nuts grow on the long roots of the plant and below the ground.
The peanut is native to Brazil and has been found there ever since the first recording
in 950 B.C.
Today, peanuts are cultivated throughout the tropics all over the world (India, China,
West Africa, Australia, and the USA are the largest peanut-growing countries).
Peanuts produce excellent oil, which is used for salads and cold dishes as well as for
frying.
Peanuts also produce peanut butter, margarine, and also used in the canning of sardines.
Peanuts are available whole, de-shelled and de-skinned and raw or toasted.
Peanuts are used in all different varieties in everything from salads to main courses
and desserts.
Pinenut These are the edible seed of the pine tree
and grow in the cone.
Pine trees are found in the Southern USA, Mexico and around the Mediterranean sea.
It is very difficult to establish a pinenut industry as the trees are growing very slow
and don't carry a lot of fruits until they're 75 years old.
Pine nuts are mostly obtained raw and then toasted, fried or grilled.
Pine nut oil is used for the cosmetic industry.
Pine nut flour is used in confectionery.
Pistachio Nut The pistachio nut is a small green kernel,
which grows on the pistachio tree originating in Syria, Palestine, and Persia.
The natural color of the shell is grayish white, but sometimes the nuts are dyed red
to cover up some of the stainings.
The pistachio nut is now cultivated in India, Europe, North Africa, Mexico, the USA, and
the Far East.
Pistachios are usually sold in their shell or shelled and blanched.
The greenish seed is used as a flavoring in cooking, candies and ice cream.
Walnut The walnut is related to the hickory and pecan tree and grows anywhere from North
America to the Andes and Europe to China.
English walnuts, butternuts and hickory nuts are all walnuts, botanical speaking.
All those walnuts have different shells and kernels but the English walnut with it's
rough, rippled shell and the yellow-brown kernel is the most popular and popularly referred
to as `The Walnut'.
Walnuts are bought in the shell or de-shelled and are sought after for their oil, which
is used for cooking as well as for salads and dressing.
OTHER COMMONLY USED NUTS INCLUDE : Macadamia Nuts )
Bunya Pine Nuts ) Australia Red Bobble Nut )
Candle Nut ) Malaysia Palm Nut ) Philippines, Brazil
Coconut ) Indonesia,China Water Chestnut )
Brazil Nuts ) South America Beech Nuts ) USA
Pecan Nuts ) North America.
Nutritional Value and Information: Nuts are rich in fat (40-60%) and dietary fiber (5-15%)
with a moderate amount of protein (2-25%) and small amounts of starch (up to 10%).
As mentioned above chestnuts are an exemption to this general rule.
The fats in nuts are mostly monounsaturated and polyunsaturated and contain no cholesterol
as nuts are harvested from plants.
Only the coconut and palm nut contain saturated fats.
Significant amounts of minerals can be found in nuts, including zinc, calcium, iron, phosphorus
and magnesium.
They also contain some provitamins and vitamins like thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and vitamin
E & C. Nuts contain very little natural sodium and
have a high amount of potassium, which in this constellation is recommended for the
control of blood pressure.
Unfortunately, nuts are often sold salted as snacks, which upsets this natural balance,
and by an over consummation of salted nuts people take in a lot of fat and salt.
Nuts are also a great source of energy and often used in diets for athletes.
Used in moderate amounts, nuts in unsalted forms are nutritionally valuable food.
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