OH NUTS

This time of year it seems normal to eat a lot of nuts.  Here's some fodder if the the conversation gets stale at your Thanksgiving or Christmas party.

The walnut is the most common nuts you'll find in America.  They are rich in oil, full of protein and essential fatty acids.  China produces four times as many walnuts as the U.S.   Even Iran produces more than we do.

The cashew, of course, comes from the cashew tree but it is not a nut - it is a seed.  You probably have never seen a cashew in its shell because the shells are toxic.  When the shells are removed before hardening, the shells are corrosive and care has to be taken to remove all traces from the nut.  The shell is used in the manufacture of oils and paints.  Unlike the walnut, cashews contain starch.  The largest producers of cashews are India and Nigeria.

The pistachio tree is of the same family as the cashew.  Its fruit is also not a nut but a seed.  Pistachios are protein rich but have a large amount of fat.  Iran is the largest producer in the world.

That ought to keep the party going for a while.
O.O