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We
take peanuts with a pinch of salt, and are positively blasé about
brazils, but when it comes to walnuts we're simply nuts about them.
The fruit of a deciduous tree with a hard, wrinkled shell and an
oily, double-lobed kernel, the walnut bears a passing resemblance
to the human brain in shape, if not always size (although Spitting
Image fans will remember the running joke about the confusion
between a walnut and a certain US President's brain!).
The walnut tree originated in ancient Persia where it was valued as
a source of both food and timber. Today walnut trees are grown throughout
the northern hemisphere and most commercially produced walnuts are imported
from California. In fact, the walnut's closest relatives are those transatlantic
twins, the hickory and the pecan, and it makes a good substitute for
the pecan nut in American recipes.
There are 17 known species of walnuts grown throughout the world from the
Mediterranean to Eastern China, varying from the blond variety, through
the butternut and the yellow brown Persian to the dark brown or black walnut.
Extremely nutritious, the walnut is also attributed with curative properties
it is recommended for liver ailments and to combat constipation. Although
high in fat, it is a rich source of essentia fatty acids (the good guys).
Walnut oil, with its distinctive aroma and sublimely concentrated flavour,
is indispensible to the modern gourmet although it has an ancient pedgree:
the Greeks extracted oil from the walnut before they acquired the olive.
The nuts themselves have a strong, savoury flavour and are available
fresh, dried and pickled. Because of their high oil content they are
prone to rancidity, so when buying fresh nuts choose the unshelled variety
and store in a cool place or in the refrigerator for up to six months.
Mature nuts can be bitter but blanching reduces this. Unripe walnuts,
also known as wet walnuts, are only available for a limited season. Creamy
and sweet with a delicate flavour, these are chiefly used for pickling.
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