Let us go Nuts

Monday, October 5, 2009

If you are like me, then you would love to feast on peanuts, cashews, almonds and other nuts.  Of course, I am talking about consumption in moderation and not an epicurean nut fest :-)

Botanical and culinary definitions of nuts vary widely.  In this article, nuts are defined to mean any oily kernel or seed found within a shell and used in food.  For example, peanut is a legume and not a true nut by botanical definition.  We assume that peanut is a nut based on our culinary definition.  It does have the word nut in it and I think that is sufficient :-)

Nuts generally have a high oil content and are a great source of nutrients and energy. A large number of seeds and kernels (nuts) are edible and used in cooking, eaten raw, sprouted, and roasted.   Most of us probably eat raw nuts rarely, baring walnuts or pecans.  Peanuts and cashews are popular roasted and usually contain additional oils and salt.

One interesting and really tasty way to eat peanuts is to eat it boiled.  I always loved to eat peanuts this way growing up.  Boil water and add the peanuts still in its shell to the boiling water.  You can also add a pinch of salt to the boiling water.  The unshelled peanuts are left to soak in the boiling water for some time and the peanuts actually get cooked.  You can drain the water and allow the unshelled peanut to sit.  It has an amazing taste that you do not get raw or roasted.

Some nuts are pressed for oil that can be used  in cooking.  Some common nuts that are consumed include almonds, walnuts, macadamia nuts, pistachio, cashew, peanuts, pecans, soybeans, hazel nuts, sunflower seeds, and pine nuts.

Nuts contain linoleic and linolenic acids (fatty acids), which are critical for growth, physical development, mental development, healthy hair and skin, blood pressure control, immunological responses and blood clotting.  Nuts are also an excellent natural source of vitamins E, F, and G (docopherol, an antioxidant).  Nuts are rich in protein, folate, fiber, and essential minerals such as magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper, and selenium.  According to the US Government nutrition website and My  Pyramid, sunflower seeds, almonds, and hazelnuts are the richest sources of vitamin E in this food group.

Cashews and peanuts are used a lot in Indian, Thai and other Asian cuisines.  Roughly 1% of the US population are thought to be allergic to some kind of nuts.

This article is based on research and reference to the USDA, MyPyramid, Nutrition.gov, Wikipedia and health.gov