Pine nuts are the edible seeds of pines (family Pinaceae, genus Pinus). Although a nut in the culinary sense, in the botanical sense pine nuts are seeds.
20 species produce seeds worth harvesting. The most widely traded are the Korean Pine (Pinus koraiensis) in northeast Asia and Chilgoza Pine (Pinus gerardiana) in the western Himalayas.
Pine nuts produced in Europe mostly come from the Stone Pine (Pinus pinea), which has been cultivated for over 6,000 years.They tend to be longer relative to width than the stubbier Asian varieties
Pine nuts contain 10–34% protein and are a source of dietary fibre.
Pine nuts have been eaten in Europe and Asia since the Paleolithic period. An essential ingredient for Italian pesto sauce, they are also added to salads, meat, fish and vegetable dishes or baked into bread
Pine nuts are also widely used in Middle Eastern cuisine in dishes such as kibbeh and sambusak and desserts such as baklava. In Spain, a sweet is made of small marzipan balls covered with pine nuts, painted with egg and lightly cooked.
- High calorific content – 100 g of dry-kernels provide 673 calories.
- Numerous phyto-chemicals, vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals that help lower LDL or “bad cholesterol” and increases HDL or “good-cholesterol” in the blood.
- Also contain essential fatty acid (ω-6 fat), pinolenic acid.
- Recent research has shown its potential use in weight loss by curbing the appetite.
- Excellent source of vitamin E and B-complex group of vitamins such as thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine) and folates;
- Free from gluten
- One of the richest sources of manganese and contain other minerals, potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc and selenium.