The loveFOOD guide to... nuts
Nuts are nutritious and tasty, and have many uses in the kitchen. Here’s our guide so you can ‘go nuts’!
Peanuts
Familiar to everyone and traditionally the pub drinker’s snack of choice - peanuts are cheap, readily available and used in Thailand’s satay sauce. They actually come from Central America, and are sometimes known as ground nuts (they grow underground). Introduced to China by Portuguese traders in the 17th Century, they now feature in many Chinese dishes too.
Gary Rhodes' Beef satay and peanut sauce
Brazil nuts
A big nut from a big tree, which, as the name suggests, is native to South America. In Brazil it’s actually illegal to cut down a Brazil nut tree. Like many nuts they’re full of protein and carbohydrates, and in moderation are good for you. Interestingly they also contain a small amount of radium. The ‘Purple One’ found in a tin of Quality Street is shaped like a brazil nut, and used to contain one inside - until it was swapped for a hazelnut.
Hazelnuts
Grown commercially all around the Med, only the county of Kent really produces any quantity in the UK. They have many uses in salads, savoury dishes, and baking. One other use is Frangelico, a liqueur that uses hazelnuts as the main flavouring.
Beetroot, goat's cheese and hazelnut tart recipe
Cashew nuts
Another nut native to South America but now grown worldwide with Nigeria being the biggest producer. Cashews have a soft buttery taste in the mouth, and they’re often used to thicken sauces, particularly Indian curries like korma. Look out for ethical or fair-trade cashew nuts in the shops, as workers who harvest regular cashews are doing so in appalling conditions.
Pistachio nuts
This nut is native to the Near East, and used in everything from Greek baklava to Turkish delight and Italian ice-cream. They can be eaten as a snack, used in salad dressings, and baked into cakes for added texture.
Apricot, honey and pistachio tart recipe
Macademia nuts
A nut not from South America or the Middle East, but actually Australia, which remains the world’s biggest producer. The trees are hard to grow, taking 12 years to get to a stage where they can produce a decent nut. The shell is also one of the hardest, and will beat a pair of domestic nutcrackers, which is why they’re always sold shelled.
James Martin's cherry and macademia nut cobbler recipe
Pine nuts
These nuts come from a variety of trees from the Stone Pine of Europe to Korean Pine in North East Asia. They can be scattered on salads, or baked in savoury breads, but they are perhaps best known as one of the ingredients of pesto, along with basil, garlic and olive oil. Apparently some people report an odd metallic taste in the mouth 2-3 days after eating pine nuts.
Want more nuts?
Nut Cracker - Kitchen Kit of the Month
Everything you need to know about... pistachios
Apple tourte with nuts and raisins recipe
Annabel Karmel's vegetable burgers recipe
Gluten free chocolate nut brownies recipe
Comments
Be the first to comment
Do you want to comment on this article? You need to be signed in for this feature