4 kinds of nuts that are not common in the market with unique taste. Which one have you tried?

Nuts are a must-have snack for many people every day. Whether it is to relieve the loneliness of the mouth or to relieve stress, they are all excellent candidates. In the drawers of foodies, you can often see melon seeds, peanuts, cashews, pistachios, walnuts, pine nuts, almonds, etc. These nuts are really familiar to people.

However, the four kinds of nuts we are going to talk about in this article are not ordinary. They are unfamiliar to many people. Although they are not common on the market, they have a unique taste and are very nutritious.

The Spring Festival is coming soon, and many friends will choose to give some nuts to their families as gifts. In this case, you can prepare some special nuts for your family to try, which will give them a different experience.

1. Thunderbolt Nuts

The pili nut kernel is the seed of the pili fruit tree, which grows very "vigorously", usually 20 meters tall and 50 centimeters in diameter. It is native to the Southeast Asian waters, Papua New Guinea and northern Australia, and was later commercially cultivated in the Philippines and became very popular. [1]

Pili nuts are high in fat and low in carbohydrates. They have a higher calorie count than the cashews, walnuts, and pine nuts we usually eat, at 682 kcal/100 g. However, their α-vitamin E, potassium, and magnesium content are excellent, at 40 times, 1.6 times, and 2.6 times that of dry walnuts, respectively. [2]

▲Photographed by myself

Vitamin E has a strong antioxidant effect, which helps to eliminate free radicals, delay aging, resist the body's inflammatory response, and prevent chronic diseases; rich potassium is beneficial for blood pressure control and is very suitable for people with high blood pressure; magnesium can help regulate bone integrity and promote bone health.

In addition, although the calories in Pili nuts are high, they will not make you gain weight because they have a strong sense of fullness, [3] which can help you better control your appetite.

Furthermore, although the fat content of Pili nuts is as high as 78%, it is almost all unsaturated fatty acids, mainly monounsaturated fatty acids, which can lower the level of "bad cholesterol" in the body, increase the level of "good cholesterol", prevent cardiovascular diseases, and resist inflammatory responses.

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition once published a study on the link between long-term nut intake and obesity. The experiment found that adding nuts to a calorie-restricted diet was not associated with weight gain, but rather resulted in greater weight loss and higher insulin sensitivity.

Pili nuts can be eaten raw or baked. They taste like macadamia nuts and walnuts, with a bit of butter flavor. They are also used to make candies, chocolates, cakes, small desserts and other delicacies. It should be reminded that due to the high content of unsaturated fatty acids, they are easily oxidized, so they should be eaten as soon as possible after opening!

2. Torreya grandis

▲Picture: E-commerce platform

Torreya grandis has a cultivation history of more than 1,000 years in my country. It is mainly distributed in Zhuji, Dongyang, Shengzhou and other places in Zhejiang Province. It is also cultivated abroad, mainly in Honshu, Kyushuya in Japan and Florida and California in the United States.

Compared with other nuts, Torreya grandis has a crunchier texture and a rose scent, but some people think that Torreya grandis has a bad taste and is slightly bitter. The calorie content is 644 kcal/100 g, which is similar to that of dry walnuts. [2] It is also rich in potassium, which is more friendly to people who need to control blood pressure.

Torreya grandis nuts contain seven essential amino acids for the human body except tryptophan. Although their amino acid nutritional value is not as high as that of soybeans, it is higher than that of peanuts. [4]

Studies have shown that the fatty acids in Torreya grandis nuts can reduce the level of triglycerides in the blood, have a lipid-lowering effect, and can also prevent atherosclerosis. [4]

3. Jackfruit core

Although a jackfruit is quite large, in fact, 1/3 of its volume is the core, that is, the seed part of the jackfruit. Many people will throw away the core directly when eating jackfruit, which is a pity!

▲Figure: References [5]

The core of jackfruit is not only edible, but also a treasured part of the jackfruit, and is very nutritious! From the data, we can see that the core of jackfruit is not only high in protein and low in fat, but also rich in dietary fiber, which can enhance satiety, prevent constipation, and is beneficial to intestinal health. [6]

Others have measured the mineral content of jackfruit seeds and found that they are rich in potassium. Compared with Xishuangbanna jackfruit seeds, Hainan jackfruit seeds have a higher potassium content. [7]

In addition, some studies have found that jackfruit seeds also contain the functional factor gamma-aminobutyric acid, with a content of up to 413.76 mg/100 g. This ingredient has the functions of improving memory and relieving fatigue. [6] There are also many health products related to gamma-aminobutyric acid on the market, which are mainly promoted to relieve stress and promote sleep.

Therefore, don't throw away the core when you eat jackfruit in the future. You can boil it in salt water and eat it directly. It tastes soft and sticky, a bit like chestnuts. You can also cook it with rice. The lysine content of jackfruit core is as high as more than 1%, while grains lack lysine. Eating the two together can form nutritional complementarity and improve the absorption and utilization rate of protein.

▲Photo: Jackfruit core rice

4. Acorn

Acorns are the seeds of oak trees. Oak trees can be seen in many communities, but few people eat them. Now they are generally used as Chinese medicinal materials or made into beautiful ornaments. The nut that the cute saber-toothed squirrel Scott in the movie "Ice Age" protected despite the dangers was an acorn.

▲Picture: Screenshot of the plot of "Ice Age" (In fact, the "hat" is not that strong and will fall off if touched)

Acorns and hazelnuts look a bit similar, but they are different. Acorns are the fruit of the oak tree of the Fagaceae family, while hazelnuts are the fruit of the hazelnut tree of the Betulaceae family. Acorns are a bit long and have a "hat", while hazelnuts are rounder and have no small hat. The fruit is wrapped in green leaves. Acorns are usually ripe in August and fall from the tree, while hazelnuts are usually ripe in September.

▲Picture: Acorn with a hat

▲Photo: Acorn (left) and hazelnut (right)

▲Picture: Acorn kernels (left) and hazelnut kernels (right)

Acorns have a rather floury texture and a bland taste, so most people don’t like to eat them. They are a high-carb, low-fat seed food, with a carbohydrate content of 50.5 grams per 100 grams, which is higher than most nuts. If you eat acorns, you can eat less staple food. Acorns are also low in fat, only 2 grams per 100 grams. [2]

Nutritionally, the calcium content of acorns stands out from other nuts, being 2 times and 5.9 times that of dry walnuts and cashews.

Summarize:

Most people rarely eat these four kinds of nuts. The first two are expensive, but the Pili nut is very suitable for gifts, buy it for your family to try! Many people don't know that the third one is edible, so it is thrown away. The last one is not eaten by most people.

Which one have you eaten?

References:

[1]https://www.healthbenefitstimes.com/pili-nuts-facts-and-health-benefits/

[2] Yang Yuexin. Chinese Food Composition Table 6th Edition Volume 1[M]. Peking University Medical Press, 2018

[3]https://nutrientoptimiser.com/nutritional-value-nuts-pilinuts-dried/

[4] Yu Mei, Zhang Chuan, Zeng Maomao, He Zhiyong, Chen Jie. Research progress on oil and protein in Torreya grandis nuts[J]. Food Science, 2016, 37(17): 252-256.

[5] Zhang Yanjun, Wang Shaoman, Zuo Huiyu, et al. Main functional active ingredients of jackfruit and their research progress[J]. Journal of Food Science and Technology, 2019, 37(6): 16-22. DOI: 10. 3969/j. issn. 2095-6002. 2019. 06. 003.

[6] Shi Jiang, Cao Haiyan, Guo Fen. Nutritional composition analysis and safety evaluation of jackfruit seeds[J]. Food Research and Development, 2018, 39(14): 193-196.

[7] Yuan Haihua, Zhong Huijie, Ao Xinyu. Determination and analysis of nutritional components of jackfruit seeds[J]. Food Research and Development, 2018, 39(24): 169-173.

Cover image: Photo Network