Home Page.NutriBase Glossary: Nuts and Seeds
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Acorn - Fruit of the oak tree. This nut may be eaten raw, roasted, or baked. It can be chopped to the size of coffee beans, roasted until brown, ground, mixed with a small amount of butter, and prepared as a coffee substitute.

Almond - The kernel of the fruit of the almond tree. Comes in sweet and bitter varieties. Bitter almonds contain traces of lethal "prussic acid" when raw. Processed bitter almonds are used to flavor extracts, liqueurs, and orgeat syrup.

Black Walnut - A highly fat walnut that is better used with other foods than out-of-hand. Used in cakes, confections, and ice cream.

Brazil Nut - This is the seed of a giant tree that grows in the Amazon jungle. The kernel of this nut is white, rich, and high in fat. Also known as "butternut," "cream nut," and "paranut."

Bush Nut - More commonly known as the "Macadamia nut." This is a small, round, brown nut with a buttery, slightly sweet flavor and a high fat content. Used in a variety of dishes.

Butternut - This is the seed of a giant tree that grows in the Amazon jungle. The kernel of this nut is white, rich, and high in fat. Also known as "Brazil nut."

Cashew - The kidney-shaped nut that grows on the outside of the cashew apple at its base. The shell is highly toxic. Cashews have a sweet buttery flavor and contain about 48% fat.

Chestnut - This nut of the chestnut tree was once abundant in America, but most were killed by a fungus at the turn of the century. The many varieties of chestnuts can be boiled, candied, dried, preserved, pureed, roasted, or ground into flour.

Chia Seeds - Seeds from a plant of the mint family that grows in the U.S. Southwest and Mexico. These seeds are used as food and brewed to make a beverage commonly called "chia."

Cilantro Seed - The seed of the Chinese parsley, also called "Chinese parsley" and "coriander." They are mild and have an aroma similar to a cross among sage, and caraway. Used in baking, curry blends, pickling, special drinks, and soups.

Cobnut - This nut is also known as the "hazelnut" or "filbert." Used whole, chopped, and ground in baking, candies, desserts, and salads.

Coriander Seeds - The seed of the coriander herb. They are mild and have an aroma similar to a cross between lemon, sage, and caraway. Used in baked goods, curry blends, pickling, special drinks, and soups.

Cream Nut - This is the seed of a giant tree that grows in the Amazon jungle. The kernel of this nut is white, rich, and high in fat. Also known as "Brazil nut."

Cumin - This spice is a member of the parsley family and dates back to the Old Testament. Also called "cumino." Its nutty-flavored seeds are used to make curries, chili powders, and Kümmel liqueur.

English Walnut - Also called the "Persian walnut," this nut is widely available and features a plump, crispy meat.

Fennel Seed - The seed of the common fennel plant. Available whole or ground. Used in sweet and savory foods, and as a flavoring agent in many liqueurs.

Fenugreek Seed - Come from the fenugreek plant, a member of the pea family. The seeds are pleasantly bitter and somewhat sweet. Used in curry powders, chutneys, spice blends, and teas.

Flaxseed - The seed of the flax, a slender, erect, annual plant that is cultivated for its fiber and its seeds. The fiber is used to make linen yarn. The seeds are used to make linseed oil.

Ginkgo Nut - A delicately sweet nut from the heart of the inedible fruit of the maidenhair tree. Particularly popular in oriental cooking.

Hazelnut - This nut is used whole, chopped, and ground in baking, candies, desserts, and salads. Also known as the "cobnut."

Heart Nut - A kidney-shaped nut that grows on the outside of the cashew apple at its base. The shell is highly toxic. These nuts have a sweet buttery flavor and contain about 48% fat. More commonly known as "cashew nuts."

Hickory Nut - An extremely hard-shelled, high-fat nut used in cakes, cookies, sweet breads, and candies. They are also suitable in recipes calling for pecans.

Macadamia Nut - A small, round, brown nut with a buttery, slightly sweet flavor and a high fat content. Used in a variety of dishes. Also known as "bush nut."

Paranut - This is the seed of a giant tree that grows in the Amazon jungle. The kernel of this nut is white, rich, and high in fat. Also known as "Brazil nut."

Peanut - This "nut" is not a nut but a high-fat, high-protein legume seed. The most popular types are Spanish (small and round) and Virginia (large and oval). About half the U.S. peanut crop is used to make peanut butter. Also called "goobers."

Pecan - A native American nut related to the "hickory nut." It has the highest fat content of any nut. They are eaten out-of-hand used in baked goods, as garnishes, and in batters, pies, frostings, candies, ice cream, and sauces.

Pepitas - Edible pumpkin seeds that have had their white hull removed. There are green, and have a delicate nutty flavor. These seeds are often roasted and salted. Pepitas are popular in Mexican cookery.

Persian Walnut - Also called "English walnut," this nut is widely available and features a plump, crispy meat.

Pili Nut - A nut from a tree native to the Philippines and other Pacific Islands. This light brown, triangular nut has a smooth, hard shell. Normally roasted before being eaten and is added to rice dishes and used to make confections.

Pine Nut - An high-fat nut from inside the pine cones of several pine trees. These nuts are expensive because it is labor-intensive to heat the pine cones and facilitate the manual removal of the nut. These nuts have a pungent pine flavor.

Pinocchio - An high-fat nut from inside the pine cones of certain pine trees. These nuts are expensive because it is labor-intensive to heat the pine cones and remove of the nut. These nuts have a pungent pine flavor. Also called "pignolia."

Pistachio Nut - The edible seed of a certain small evergreen tree. Naturally tan-colored, these nuts are often dyed red to make them stand out in a dish of mixed nuts. Available raw or roasted, salted or unsalted.

Poppy Seed - These small, dried seeds of the poppy plant have a crunchy, nutty flavor that find use in baked goods, salad dressings, and a multitude of cooked dishes. 900,000 poppy seeds weight about a pound.

Psyllium - A plant, also known as "fleawort," that is valued for its high fiber content. The powdered seeds of this plant are often used as a laxative.

Pumpkin Seeds - The edible seeds of the pumpkin. These seeds are hulled to reveal a green seed with a delicate nutty flavor. These seeds are often roasted and salted. Also called "pepitas," these seeds are popular in Mexican cookery.

Safflower Seed - The seeds of the safflower plant, used to yield a low-cholesterol oil used in cooking oils and margarines.

Sesame Seed - A tiny, flat seed with a nutty, slightly sweet flavor used in breads, cakes, confections, cookies, pastries, and salads. This seed was used at least as far back as 3,000 B.C. in Assyria.

Sim Sim - A tiny, flat seed with a nutty, slightly sweet flavor used in breads, cakes, confections, cookies, pastries, and salads. This seed was used at least as far back as 3,000 B.C. in Assyria. Better known in U.S. markets as "sesame seed."

Sunflower - These bright yellow flowers turn and track the sun throughout the day. The seeds are either roasted or dried, salted or unsalted. The seeds (excluding the shell) are 47% oil and 24% protein by weight.

Tahini - A thick paste made of ground sesame seed. Popular in the Middle East in a number of specialties, including "hummus" and "babghanoush."

Teff Seed - The seed of the North African teff plant.

Watermelon Seed - The seed of the watermelon. More popular in Asia than in the U.S.

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