Almond

Almonds promotes heart health and prevents gallstones

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GEEK TALK

Prunus amygdalus; Prunus dulcis

BUT WE TALK

Pātām (Tam), almendras (Esp), Bādāam (Hin)

DID YOU KNOW?

One of the earliest known domesticated tree nuts, almonds have been well-known for thousands of years and have even made appearances in historical texts such as the bible.

 

The seed is usually oval-shaped and is white inside while covered by a thin brown skin.

 

There are two types of almonds, the bitter almond, and sweet almond. While it is unknown how humans originally separated the two distinct almonds which are virtually identical in appearance, it’s a good thing they found a way because the bitter almond is toxic and inedible.

 

The bitter almond still can be used to produce almond oil however which can be a flavor add-in to many liquors or foods or even be used for skin treatments.

 

The sweet almond is known for its sweet taste and almonds are typically eaten raw or toasted and are often smoked or salted. They have many culinary uses as almonds can be used in many recipes, but can also produce other food products.

 

Almond butter is commonly used as a peanut butter substitute and is great for those suffering from a peanut allergy.

 

Almond milk is a great milk substitute great for those abstaining from dairy products. In addition, almond syrup and almond flour also have culinary uses.

KITCHEN PHARMACY

  • While some may say almonds are high in fats, that is because of the monounsaturated fats which studies show promote great heart health.
  • Almonds have shown to reduce cholesterol, especially the bad cholesterol and is effective at reducing risk for heart disease.
  • In addition, almonds are very helpful in reducing risk for diabetes, improving blood-fat levels and reducing risk for weight gain.
  • Lastly, almonds are a great source of energy and may help prevent gallstones.

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION

While almonds originated in the Middle East, the United States is the world’s largest producer of almonds today, however, California is the only state which produces them.

RECIPES USING THIS INGREDIENT

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Hickory


Hickory increases metabolism and proper functioning of muscles and organs

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GEEK TALK

Carya tomentosa

BUT WE TALK

Nuez dura (Esp)

DID YOU KNOW?

While the hickory nut has gained wild popularity with the squirrel folk, humans have been slow to enjoy the flavorful hickory nut due to its hard and tough to penetrate shell.

 

There are seventeen known varieties of the hickory tree, 13 of which are native to the U.S.A. Each type will give a different type of nut varying in size, shell thickness, shape, and flavor.

 

Two of the more common American varieties are the shagbark, which is known for its strong flavor and small nut, and the far larger shellbark.

 

Hickory does have great importance not only as a food but as a wood. Its wood is very hard and is thought to be a great combination of strength, toughness, and stiffness that is rare to find.

 

It has been used for tool handles as well as other tools and used to be used to make baseball bats and golf clubs.

KITCHEN PHARMACY

  • Hickory nuts are a great source of macronutrients, vitamins, and minerals and are believed to help increase metabolism.
  • In addition, it can help promote good heart health and keep muscles and some organs functioning properly.
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Butternut


Butternuts aids digestion and manages cholesterol

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GEEK TALK

Juglans cinerea

BUT WE TALK

White walnut

DID YOU KNOW?

The butternut grows on trees reaching up to 65 feet in height. The trees have a somewhat short lifespan, lasting only 75 years and beginning to bear fruit at age 20.

 

The nut requires plenty of water to grow and performs best in high altitudes. Once ripe, the outer husk protecting the seed is much easier to break off and the tree typically flowers from April to June.

 

Butternuts can be enjoyed raw but make their biggest mark in desserts. From being used in cookies, cakes, muffins, and other confectionaries, the sweet-tasting butternut still makes an impact on the food scene despite being relatively unknown.

 

In addition, the bark of the butternut tree can be mixed with sugar and turned into a syrup similarly tasting to maple syrup.

KITCHEN PHARMACY

  • Butternuts are useful in aiding digestion and are especially helpful to aid constipation.
  • In addition, they are helpful in managing cholesterol levels and the oil extracted from the nut is often used to treat certain tapeworm and fungal infections.

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION

Deriving from the same family as the far more popular walnut, the butternut also has tremendous flavor and good health benefits. It grows in North America, mostly in the Eastern parts of both Canada and the U.S.A.

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Brazil Nut


Brazil Nut is difficult to harvest but prevents certain cancers and heart diseases

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GEEK TALK

Bertholletia excelsa

BUT WE TALK

Castania, cream nut, Brājīla akharōṭa (Hin), Nuez de Brasil (Esp), Pirēcil naṭṭu (Tam)

DID YOU KNOW?

Its name belies the fact that Bolivia and Peru are responsible for more than one half the world’s supply of the Brazil nut and it is illegal to cut down any brazil nut tree.

 

Brazil nuts grow on massive trees that reach 160 feet and have a typical lifespan ranging from 500-700 years though it takes roughly 300 years before the tree begins to bear any fruit.

 

The seed of the fruit, or the nut itself, grow in 4-6 pound pods that are similarly shaped to a coconut and contain 30 seeds in each one. Because the tree is deciduous, when ripe the pod falls off of the tall tree and strikes the ground with enough force to kill a man, making the nut harvest a trickier than normal business.

 

While Brazil nuts have the highest fat content of any nut, it is filled with monounsaturated fats which are considered good fats.

 

The oil from the brazil nut is used in various items such as cosmetics and some paints and is often used in salad dressings. The nut is delicious to eat raw, roasted, salted or sweetened.

KITCHEN PHARMACY

  • Like many nuts the Brazil nut is very helpful for those looking to lower their bad cholesterol.
  • In addition, its high amounts of selenium help to prevent some cancer types as well as coronary heart disease.

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION

Grown for centuries in the vast Amazon rainforest, the Brazil nut has long been a source of nutrition for those near the rainforest. Indigenous tribes in South America long used the Brazil nut as a source of nutrition but also found various uses for the nut’s oil and husk.

 

In the 1500s, the nut was introduced to Europe and the Spanish called the nut “Almonds of the Andes.”

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Macadamia


Macadamia nut is an ingredient to skincare and cosmetics

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GEEK TALK

Macadamia integrifolia, Macadamia tetraphylla

BUT WE TALK

Queensland nut, bush nut, maroochi nut, bauple nut, Maikāḍāmiyā (Hin)

DID YOU KNOW?

The genus Macadamia was named after John Macadam, MD, Secretary of the Philosophical Institute of Victoria after a British colonist colleague discovered the unknown tree in Australia.

 

The genus consists of at least 10 species, only 2 of which produce edible nuts, the smooth shelled Macadamia integrifolia and the rough shelled Macadamia tetraphylla.

 

Macadamia nuts grow on evergreen trees ranging from 6-40ft high and they typically begin to bear fruit around 7 years after plantation. The edible part is the white kernel with a smooth surface, known for its sweet taste and nutty aroma.

 

Macadamia nuts are usually eaten raw and a nutcracker is required to penetrate the outside shell. They are often roasted, salted or sweetened and its crunchy texture can often be sprinkled over salads.

 

Macadamia oil is very similar to olive oil and can be used similarly when cooking. Macadamia butter is gluten-free, high in protein and makes for a good substitute.

KITCHEN PHARMACY

  • Like many nuts, macadamia nuts have been proven to help lower one’s cholesterol especially the bad cholesterol and are very heart-healthy.
  • They are packed with nutrients, minerals, and vitamins but are toxic to dogs.
  • Macadamia oil is often an ingredient in skincare and cosmetic products in general.

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION

With 1875 marking the first recorded history of the macadamia nut, it is a relatively new nut compared to its counterparts. It is also the only true major commercial food crop native to Australia.

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Pine Nuts


Pine Nuts aids weight loss and in lowering cholesterol

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GEEK TALK

Pinaceae pinus

BUT WE TALK

Pinon nuts, pignoli, cedar nuts, chilgoza, piñones (Esp), Pāgala pā’ina (Hin), Paiṉ paruppukaḷ (Tam)

DID YOU KNOW?

For over 10,000 years Native Americans have harvested and relied on the pine nut as the main food source. For Native Americans living in the great basin, the pine nut became a staple of their diets.

 

Pine nut harvest would begin in summer and last until fall and was such a big deal that the first harvest of pine nuts was considered to be a large social gathering.

 

Today in America the main harvesters of pine nuts are still Native Americans though pine nuts are grown worldwide with distinct differences in the European and Asian pine nuts.

 

In North America pine trees mainly are grown in the cold forest regions such as Siberia and Canada. The flowers of the tree turn into a cone, known as pine cones, and once mature and dry the cones will naturally split up and the seeds or edible nuts.

 

The nuts are encompassed by a tough dark brown shell, though when out of the shell they have a very long shelf life, making storage very easy.

 

Pine nuts are frequently added into meat, fish, or vegetable dishes and even are often baked into bread. They are a major component in the Italian pesto sauce and pine nut coffee has become increasingly popular especially in Southwestern U.S.A.

KITCHEN PHARMACY

Pine nuts are high in essential fatty acids as well as monounsaturated fats. Pine nuts have been linked to aiding weight loss as well as lowering cholesterol.

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Kola Nuts


Kola Nuts is also called Coca Cola and it fights fatigue

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GEEK TALK

Cola acuminata

BUT WE TALK

Kola Nuts

DID YOU KNOW?

In the 1800s a Georgia pharmacist named John Pemberton mixed kola with cocoa, sugar and other ingredients to create the first cola soft drink.

 

His accountant called it coca-cola. Today it seems cola is no longer used in the typical recipe for the making of coca-cola.

 

Kola is a caffeine-containing nut which is known for its bitter flavor. It grows on an evergreen tree typically to around 65 feet high and the tree produces purple-spotted yellow flowers with star-shaped fruit.

 

The seeds which are the edible nut, are square and contained within a white shell. The nut is said to have a rose-like aroma and is chewed and enjoyed by many.

KITCHEN PHARMACY

  • Kola nuts can be chewed to help fight both fatigue and hunger.
  • In addition, it has been used to treat whooping cough and asthma.
  • Lastly, kola nuts are believed to promote good prostate health and has been linked to weight loss.

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION

Native to the tropical rainforests in Africa, kola has long been held in high regard and sometimes even a sacred object by many Africans. Kola has long been used in traditional spiritual practices in Western Africa.

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Betel Nuts


The betel nut is used as a stimulant and is beneficial to stroke recovery

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GEEK TALK

Areca catechu

BUT WE TALK

Areca nut, Pāna, Supari (Hin), Paaku, Seeval (Tam)

DID YOU KNOW?

The seeds of the betel nut are chewed as a stimulant and this action has been featured in ancient texts for close to 2,000 years.

 

The betel nut was a favorite of royalty at certain periods and in Vietnam, the betel nut and betel leaf are symbols of love and marriage. In fact, the Vietnam phrase, “matters of betel and areca,” is synonymous with marriage.

 

Think of the Betelnut as the predecessor of chewing gum in India. Typically, eaten with the betel leaf after a meal in the form of a paan (with other condiments of choice like cardamom, clove, etc.), it is a major habit that sometimes can degenerate into addiction by mixing chewing tobacco.

 

Betel nuts are available dried cured and fresh and when growing are surrounded by a green husk.

 

In early growth, the nut is very soft and can be easily cut with a knife, however as it ripens the fruit hardens to strong and wood-like consistency. As it ripens the husk turns a yellow or orange color as well.

 

The betel nut, when chewed with betel leaves, works as a mild stimulant said to give a warming sensation and a slightly heightened awareness. However, not all about betel nuts are good as chewing them with betel leaves is a recognized carcinogen.

KITCHEN PHARMACY

  • Betel nuts are believed to be beneficial to stroke recovery as well as those suffering from schizophrenia.
  • In addition, it helps those suffering from dry mouth.

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION

Typically grown in the tropical Pacific and parts of Asia, betel or areca nut, have remained very popular throughout Asia while not yet enjoying commercial success in America.

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Chestnut


Chestnut is a prehistoric food known to strengthen bones

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GEEK TALK

Castanea sativa

BUT WE TALK

Bhūrā (Hin), castaño (Esp), Kaṣkoṭṭai (Tam)

DID YOU KNOW?

Chestnuts date back to prehistoric times and have a remarkable history. Chestnuts are believed to have been planted by Romans and Alexander the Great during their European campaigns and it is believed that the Greek army survived by eating chestnuts during its retreat from Asia Minor from 401-399 B.C.

 

In America, the entire chestnut population was nearly wiped out by a fungus in the early 20th century. The devastation of the chestnut trees is known as the chestnut blight and the American production of chestnuts never regained its form as America is responsible for roughly one percent of the world’s chestnut production today.

 

All of the chestnut plants, however, are deciduous and its fruit is enclosed in a spiny yellow covering known as a cupule.

 

Chestnuts are commonly peeled and eaten raw but are also very often roasted where they develop a texture similar to a baked potato. Chestnuts can also be prepared deep-fried, candied, boiled, steamed or grilled.

 

Coming from the same family as oak, chestnut can be used as a timber which has a light brown coloring and is considered to be decorative. However, it is not as strong timber as oak and has a tendency to split.

KITCHEN PHARMACY

  • Chestnuts help promote strong bones and are seen as helpful in preventing birth defects.
  • In addition, chestnuts have antioxidant properties and help support cardiovascular health.
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Pecan


Pecan has healthy fat that can control cholesterol and can prevent cancers

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GEEK TALK

Carya Illinoinensis

BUT WE TALK

Pacana (Esp), Pekkāṉ (Tam)

DID YOU KNOW?

While the commercial growth of pecans did not begin until the 1880s, it is one of the latest domesticated major crops to be commercialized, pecans were greatly enjoyed by Native Americans and colonists in its native U.S.A.

 

The word pecan comes from an Algonquian word meaning a nut requiring a stone to crack. While its shell certainly is hard, it is far from impenetrable and the nut itself is 1-3 inches long and oblong shaped.

 

The tree typically grows anywhere from 66-130 feet high and the trees can live and produce pecans for over 300 years.

 

While often eaten raw, a pecan’s greatest use may be in the making of dessert dishes. The seeds, which have become known as the nut, have a distinct buttery and rich flavor and it is this flavoring that makes it a favorite for sweet tooths and has helped to popularize the always delicious dessert favorite pecan pie.

 

In addition, pecans are used in the making of the candy pralines and it also can be used as wood to make furniture and flooring.

KITCHEN PHARMACY

  • Pecans are known to be a great source of energy and are very high in monounsaturated fats which are healthy.
  • Pecans are believed to be beneficial in lowering blood pressure as well as cholesterol and also are believed to help prevent cardiovascular disease.
  • In addition, pecans are linked to helping prevent breast and prostate cancer.

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION

It is believed Native Americans were the first to cultivate the pecan tree and pecans were enjoyed by European explorers venturing to the new world.

 

As with many American colonists, both Thomas Jefferson and George Washington were greatly fond of pecans and grew pecan trees in gardens at their homes.

 

Today the United States is the leading producer of pecans and produces over 80% of the world’s supply with Georgia being the leading state.

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