Rare Pine Nut Harvested in the Mountains of Central Asia – Chilgoza
High on dry, rocky mountain slopes where ordinary agriculture becomes difficult, an unusual pine tree produces one of Afghanistan’s most valuable wild foods. Its seeds are known as chilgoza pine nuts. Long, slender and protected by a hard dark shell, chilgoza are noticeably larger than many of the pale pine nuts commonly sold for pesto. […]
Kluwek – Southeast Asia’s Enigmatic Black Nut
Some ingredients announce themselves with bright colors, floral aromas or fiery heat. Kluwek is far more enigmatic. Hidden inside a hard, rough shell is a soft, nearly black seed paste with an earthy fragrance and an intensely savory flavor. In Indonesia, it gives the celebrated beef soup rawon its unmistakable dark broth. In Singaporean and […]
Relation of Water Lilly Seeds to Fox Nuts
The harvesting process for fox nuts (also known as Makhana or water lily seeds) is labor-intensive and primarily conducted in India and other parts of Asia. The steps are as follows: Collecting Seeds from Water: The process begins with collecting the seeds from the bottom of ponds or stagnant water bodies where the Euryale ferox […]
Cashew Price Mystery
There are a few reasons why cashews are pricier than other nuts: Labor-Intensive Collecting – Cashews are harvested from a cashew apple which develops on the cashew tree. These nuts are encased in a hard-shell that contains a caustic oil that can cause skin irritation. They need to be handled carefully during harvest. It’s labor […]