Pine Nuts
Pine nuts are not nuts, but the edible seeds of the pine family known as Pinaceae. Pine nuts form within the scales of a pine cone. Each cone contains one or two nuts tucked under each of the cones’ spiny, hard-shelled scales. They possess a thin, hard, multi-colored, seamless shell, with amber and chocolate hues, which, when peeled away, exposes the ivory-toned “nut.”
Pine nuts, typically about the size of a black-eyed pea, have a smooth surface and exhibit a firm but slightly-soft, almost rubbery texture. They have a mild, sweet, and nutty aroma with a hint of resinous pine, especially when fresh. They emit a warm, toasted, rich, buttery fragrance when roasted. Their taste is sweet and complex, with hazelnut, maple, and fig notes. When roasted, pine nuts unveil a soft, buttery taste comparable to cashews and macadamia nuts.
Pine nuts offer notable health benefits, such as boosting energy with their protein, iron, and magnesium content. They may also stabilize blood sugar and aid diabetes management by balancing fats and fiber, promoting heart health. Additionally, high in vitamins K and E, pine nuts are beneficial for bone strength, skin health, and immune function. In traditional Chinese medicine, pine nuts are used to alleviate coughs and respiratory ailments by eliminating phlegm.
- Native Americans in the Southwest have revered the pinyon or piñon tree, a pine-nut-bearing variety of pine, and its sacred ability to sustain the population of indigenous peoples for thousands of years.
- The pinyon jay is a bird that collects and stores up to 30,000 pine nuts for its winter eating.
- Mongolians eat toasted, unshelled pine nuts like peanuts, cracking them open with their teeth and snacking through bags at a time.
- Native Americans store the nuts by roasting them and burying them to preserve them.
- The Navajo also crack open pine nuts using their teeth.
Sources: foodprint.org/realfood/pine-nuts; specialtyproduce.com/produce/Foraged_Pine_Nuts_9429
Recipe – Mock Halibut Salad
Ingredients
1 cup shelled pine nuts, soaked in water 4–6 hours
1 cup macadamia nuts, soaked in water 4–6 hours
1 cup yellow onion, chopped
1/2 cup purple onion, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 Tbs. dulse flakes (edible seaweed)
Sea salt, to taste
Process
Drain the soaked nuts and place in a food processor. Process until nuts become pasty. Empty into another dish. Cut the vegetables into workable pieces, add the dulse flakes and salt, and process until the vegetable pieces are small. Mix the processed vegetables with the nut mixture by hand and chill for an hour. Wrap in lettuce or collard leaves.