The nut: food of the Gods

They provide so many quality nutrients that the Romans called them 'Jupiter's glands'.

Their name in Greek means seed of God. Such an appellation can already serve as a warning about the high esteem that walnuts have always had. Beware the legend that Alexander the Great introduced the fruit of the walnut tree from Persia to Greece.

Its Macedonian contemporaries called it kara because of its resemblance to the human head, and the Romans, who also declared themselves devotees of this drupe, renamed it Juglans regia, its current scientific name, which means 'glands of Jupiter'. It is not a random nomenclature: both the Greeks and the Romans considered it a food of the gods. Probably one of the reasons was its peculiar shape: this woody, hard and rough shell houses four soft seeds, whose shape reminds us of the human brain.

Nuts are born protected by a hard, woody shell. More than fifteen varieties are known. The California nut (Juglans californica) is large in size and regular in shape. That of Castilla, from European walnut or Juglans cinerea, is more rounded, bitter and with a lower amount of fat than other varieties. For that same reason it is ideal for caramelizing. On the contrary, the pecan variety has a mild, sweet, buttery flavor and crunchy texture. The pecan tree is native to the state of Texas and is credited with creating famous desserts such as 'pequen pie', the hearty and delicious American walnut and corn syrup pie. From Australia comes the macadamia nut, considered the finest in the world, with a creamy texture and widely used in baking. Finally, the Brazil nut or coquito, also known as the Pará chestnut, comes from a wild tree endemic to the Amazon. It is fine, buttery, with a delicate taste and with a very high selenium content. With four or six walnuts, 100% of the recommendations (55 mcg) are exceeded.

Walnut harvesting starts from the end of September to the end of October. But since it is a long-lasting nut, it can be found in the market all year round.

 

Don't discard the refrigerator

The best way to appreciate nuts with all their flavor is to buy them in their shells and open them just before eating them. However, the laziest will choose to buy them peeled and in bulk. In this case, the best place to store them is in the refrigerator, in a closed container. The freezer is also valid if you will not consume them immediately. This will lengthen its life, preventing the fatty acids from going rancid.

One way to detect that they are rancid, without having to sink your teeth into them, is by smell: nuts acquire a smell similar to paint thinner that will put you on guard. In this case there is nothing to do except throw them in the trash.

The same does not happen with packaged nuts that contain a protective atmosphere to preserve them for some time from this deterioration. Once the package is opened, it is best to put them in an airtight container. And in case it's hot, don't even think about it: in the refrigerator.

 

Eat them from the heart

Like all nuts, walnuts are very energetic. They present 595 kilocalories per 100 grams, a good part of which are in the form of fats (63.28 grams), 88% of which are unsaturated fatty acids. This composition makes them a heart-healthy food: when saturated fats are replaced with unsaturated fats in the diet, it helps to maintain blood cholesterol at normal levels.

In addition, they are a source of fiber (5.2 grams) and contain 3.3 grams of carbohydrates and 14 proteins, highly valued by those who follow a vegan diet.

Walnuts provide 595 kcal per 100 grams: 63.28 are fats, 14 are proteins, 5.2 are fiber and 3.3 are carbohydrates. In addition, they are a source of almost all essential minerals: iron, zinc, potassium, selenium, phosphorus and magnesium.

When it is said that nuts are one of the healthiest foods we can put on the table, it is not a trivial statement. They are a source of almost all the essential minerals for the body: iron (2.3 grams), zinc (2.1 grams), potassium (690 mg), selenium (19 mcg), phosphorus (304 mg) and magnesium (140 mg As for vitamins, they are a source of B1 (0.3 mg) and B3 (3.5 mg), two micronutrients that participate in cellular metabolism.

 

Delicious even in brine

Most of us eat the rough nuts, either as a snack or to give a touch to salads. They are also part of many sweets, such as the famous vanilla ice cream with macadamia nuts. More commonly, they are found in elixirs such as ratafía, a sweet Catalan liqueur based on green nuts, herbs and spices.

Imagination, however, can give more than curious recipes. The English, friends as they are with pungent flavors, even have their nuts pickled in a brine of vinegar, sugar and spices. They lived their moment of glory a couple of centuries ago and even Charles Dickens includes them in some of his stories.

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