Where Do Nuts Come From? Healthy Nuts Facts Check!

A nut is also called a nutlet.

As peanuts (legumes) grow underground, they are also commonly called groundnuts and they show flowers above the ground. Cashew nuts, which are another variety of nuts, have oil on the shell that can cause serious irritation similar to poison ivy or contact dermatitis.

We, humans, love munching on nuts, and they are a healthy replacement for junk foods.

Not all of us, however, prefer the same kind of nuts, and a few of us are even allergic to them. There are over 20 different nuts in the world and they are found across so many places.

Some of the most famous of the world's nuts are almonds, cashew, peanut, pistachio, and walnut.

Nuts like peanuts grow underground while others grow either on trees or bushes. Peanuts are considered legumes, whereas cashew nuts typically grow on trees and are within a drupe(drupaceous nuts) called a cashew apple, and a lot of them grow on trees.

Nuts grow in different places in different countries, however, they all grow in a similar type of climate.

In the year 2017, the U.S leading industry body for nuts, the International Nut and Dried Fruit Council, found that almonds were the most produced tree nut by volume. Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi in the U.S typically produce peanut crops, however, India and China are the top producers of these legumes.

The Black Sea region of the Middle East is the largest global producer of hazelnuts and cashews whereas the largest global producer of pistachios, walnuts, and almonds is in North America.

Although cashews are native to the South American Amazon Basin, Portuguese sailors carried edible cashew trees to East Africa and India in the late 16th century.

The mountain ranges of Central Asia are native to walnuts, however, 99% of the domestic walnut crop is grown in California (U.S) among all American states, but China still produces more than this overall.

It is quite a task to assign a category to pecans and walnuts and so they are called drupaceous nuts but they are not true botanical nuts.

Morocco, some southwest Asian countries, Spain, and Iran produce almond nuts, however, most almond nuts are harvested in California.

There are varieties of almonds grown around the world; a nonpareil almond produced in California has a different taste compared to the Mollar almond of Spain. True nuts are hazelnuts, chestnuts, and acorns.

If you enjoyed reading these facts that answer where do nuts come from, then make sure to read some more interesting facts that answer the questions where do chocolates come from and where do pickles come from here at Kidadl.

Where do Macadamia nuts come from?

Macadamia nuts come from southeastern and central Queensland and northeastern New South Wales, Australia, Southeast Asia, North America, and South America.

Macadamia nuts grow on the trees of Australia, and specifically are native to southeastern and central Queensland and northeastern New South Wales. This nut is also called gyndl, jindilli, bauple, and boombera in Australian aboriginal languages.

Regions in Hawaii were the first to produce this seed with a thick-shell commercially. Since 2010, South Africa has been producing the largest amount of this seed in the world.

Other countries that produce this tree nut apart from Australia are Southeast Asia, North America, and South America with Mediterranean, tropical or temperate climates being preferred. This seed has a hard shell and the hardest shell when compared to chestnuts, pistachio, hazelnuts, peanuts, and Brazil nuts.

This plant grows up to 7-40 ft (2-12 m) tall. Three species of the total four nut species have commercial importance as the fourth species produces poisonous tree nuts.

The hard shell of these tree nuts has properties identical to aluminum and is fives times harder than the shells of the hazelnut. Aside from humans, the shells of these tree nuts are cracked by animals including the hyacinth macaw parrot to remove the seed.

These fruits are globose follicles, woody, and hard with one seed or sometimes two, and they are toxic fruits for dogs. Other uses of these trees are as ornamental plants due to the beautiful flowers and glossy foliage they produce.

The wood is used decoratively in small items and the flowers produce honey. Some Lepidoptera larvae feed on these plants.

These tree nuts are also commonly referred to as the Bauple nut, Hawaii nut, Maroochi nut, Queensland nut, and bush nut.

Where do Brazil nuts come from?

Brazil nut comes from Venezuela, Guanas, eastern Colombia, Brazil, eastern Bolivia, and eastern Peru.

Brazil nuts grow on trees in South America and this is also the name given to the harvested edible seed. These trees are currently vulnerable.

The nutshell and the fruit are large with a weight of about 4.4 lb (2kg). As a food source, Brazil nuts have micronutrients including selenium.

Some Brazil nut-producing countries are Brazil, Peru, and Bolivia. This tree nut is native to Venezuela, Guanas, eastern Colombia, Brazil, eastern Bolivia, and eastern Peru.

The trees of these species occur across forests along the Tapajos, Orinoco, Amazon River, and Rio Negro. In addition, the grown trees are found outside the leading production regions and found near streets and roads, and in house backyards throughout the Northeast and North Brazil.

As this fruit is quite rigid and heavy, it can be a potential threat to people or vehicles passing under the tree when they fall. This nut is usually harvested in the Amazon, in the country of Bolivia.

It is in the months between December and March that these nuts are harvested. A machete is used to cut open the Brazil nut fruit and then farmers place the seeds into sacks.

These seeds are then bought by merchants who sell this food to a cracking factory.

Once the fruit is dried and sterilized, it is then cracked open by a huge machine. There are a few more steps following this and any rotten nuts are discarded by the production house.

Where do pinon nuts come from?

Pinon nuts come from trees in New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, and Colorado.

Pinon trees are nothing but small pine trees grown in the warm climates of New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, and Colorado. Pinon nuts grow on these trees.

The nuts present in the pinon tree cones are seeds, beneficial for wildlife and people. This was a vital food source for Native Americans, and not only did they consume the nut but they also used the wood from the tree.

Even now, some still traditionally use pinon nuts. It is thought the term pinon is a derivation of the Spanish word for pine nuts growing only on the pinon tree.

The flavor of pinon nuts is far better than pine nuts. Many people also agree that pine nuts are so small and are not worth the effort put into gathering and production.

Depending on rainfall, pinon trees produce seeds every four to seven years and the pinon nuts are harvested in mid-summer. A ladder can be used to pick pine cones or you can spread out a tarp under the pine tree.

You can then shake the branches gently to loosen up the cones to pick them up. It is also advised to wear rigid gloves and a hat to protect yourself from the sticky pitch.

Where do grape nuts come from?

Grape nuts came into existence in a small barn in Battle Creek in Michigan.

Grape nuts were first introduced as medicine in 1897 and were also one of the first cereals. Grape nuts have neither nuts nor grapes in them.

C. W. Post, an American innovator, developed this breakfast cereal with salt, dried yeast, and flour. There are also added minerals and vitamins like zinc oxide, vitamin B3, vitamin B6, iron, folic acid, and vitamin B1.

This brand of cereal was named due to its resemblance to grape seeds and also due to its nutty flavor.

It came into existence in a small barn in Battle Creek in Michigan and this production plant currently manufactures other breakfast items like Fruity Pebbles, Honey Bunches of Oats, and many others. Did you know that grape nuts sponsored an expedition by Richard E. Byrd, a Rear Admiral, to Antarctica in 1933?

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