Pine nut

About

Around thirty species of pine produce edible pine nuts, which are technically seeds rather than true nuts. The most widely cultivated is the Korean pine, grown mainly in Asia; pine nuts are also a traditional food in North America and are grown across North Africa and the Mediterranean. Italian and Chinese pine nuts differ noticeably: Italian varieties are long and slender with a buttery flavor and sometimes a smoky note, while Chinese pine nuts are shorter, more triangular, sweeter, and more resinous, with a waxy texture. Toasting mutes these differences in favor of a more generalized roasted flavor. Pine nut oil is also produced commercially, and leftover flakes are used in granola or baked goods. A notable minority of people experience "pine nut syndrome," a lingering metallic taste that can develop one to three days after eating pine nuts and last up to two weeks.

Pairs well with pine nut

• CiLemonLemon zest's own piney note complements and cuts through pine nut's fatty sweetness, working well in rice dishes or stirred into sweetened…
• SuEggToasted pine nuts bring out a savory side that suits scrambled eggs, unlike most nuts.
• SuGarlicIn Turkey, ground pine nuts sometimes replace tahini in tarator, blended with garlic and lemon juice into a pesto-like sauce -- since pine…
• WoAlmondAlmonds, being cheaper than pine nuts, often play a supporting role to them, as in the Italian pignoli cookie: a dough of almond flour,…
• SpCinnamonCinnamon is a naturally occurring flavor note in some pine nuts, both native to Mexico, making them a strong background pairing in…
• FrApplePinza is a traditional Italian fruit cake studded with sliced apples, pine nuts, raisins and fennel seeds, customarily eaten with red wine…
• EaMushroomIn Japan, matsutake ("pine mushroom") eaten soon after picking has a meaty flavor with notes of pine and fruit.
• BeMintPine nuts are sometimes added, lightly toasted or raw, to mint tea in Tunisia, where the hot liquid softens them and releases their flavor.
• ChCheesePine nuts have a naturally spicy flavor that pairs closely with Parmesan - some vegan Parmesan substitutes use pine nuts for this reason.
• GrAvocadoToasted pine nuts can taste distinctly bacon-like at the right moment, making them a natural addition to avocado sandwiches or avocado…
• WoCarrotBoth ingredients share a strongly piney character.
• SuCornThe Navajo traditionally ground oil-rich piñon (edulis) pine nuts into a peanut-butter-like paste spread on hot corn cakes.
• CrRaisinRaisins and pine nuts (passoli e pinoli in Sicily) season dishes like caponata, endive salad, sardine pasta and cauliflower pasta, adding…
• CrDateThe Korean glutinous rice cake yaksik is made with pine nuts and jujube dates, which taste like sun-dried candy apples.
• GrFennelCoca de pinyons, a Catalan flatbread, is made from an olive-oil-enriched bread dough rolled thin, scored, and topped with sugar, pine nuts…
• GrKaleKale pesto, made by blending torn kale leaves with toasted pine nuts, garlic, cheese and olive oil, echoes the flavors of a Caesar salad,…
• RoMaple syrupMaple syrup contains terpenes, the aromatic compounds responsible for the scent of conifers, giving it a natural affinity with pine nuts,…
• GrSpinachToasted pine nuts can carry a faint bacon-like flavor, similar to roasted asparagus tips, which may explain their affinity for spinach,…