It’s pretty hard to guess how pine nuts grow. This is because they come from pine trees. The pine nut is the seed of a pine. And to be more precise, from the tree with the botanical name “Pinus”. The seeds grow in the cone fruit, between the woody scales. Shaking picked pine cones loosens the pine nuts.
Pine nuts make salads tasty and crunchy. They are also healthy, because the seeds are rich in vitamins and minerals. But do you know where pine nuts come from? Many people have no idea. That’s why we write a blog about pine nuts!
It is quite difficult to guess how pine nuts grow. You see, they come from pine trees. The pine nut is the seed of a pine. And to be precise, from the tree with the botanical name “Pinus”. The seeds grow in the cone fruit, between the woody scales. By shaking picked pine cones, the pine nuts come loose.
Endless variations with pine nuts
Before we can eat them, pine nuts are peeled by machine. If you have pine nuts in the house and toast them lightly first, the seeds become extra crunchy. Well, and then you can prepare all sorts of things with them. You will find pine nuts in many Italian dishes, and of course in all kinds of salads. But they are also delicious in a wrap, for example, and can be combined excellently with rocket, pesto, chicken or salmon.
Beware of the wrong pine nuts!
Fancy a dish with pine nuts? Then make sure you have the right pine nuts. Otherwise you’ll walk around with a bad taste in your mouth for days. And we speak from experience … you do not forget that bitter, metallic taste. Really nothing tastes normal anymore, and that can last for a couple of weeks. You do not notice this pine nut syndrome immediately. It only occurs one to two days after consumption.
At Leiden University, scientists have found that the problem occurs after eating pine nuts from the Chinese ‘Pinus armandii’. You could recognize these wrong pine nuts because they are a bit shorter and thicker than other species. Unfortunately, several varieties are often mixed together in the trade, making it difficult to avoid them. So feel free to ask about the origin of pine nuts if you are served them in a restaurant.