**1. Species and Geographic Spread:**
– Korean pine and chilgoza pine are widely harvested in Asia.
– Russia is the largest producer of Siberian pine nuts.
– Europe mainly produces pine nuts from the stone pine.
– North America’s main species for pine nuts are Colorado pinyon.
– Native American and Hispano communities in the US mainly harvest pine nuts.
**2. Ecology and Environmental Impact:**
– Overharvesting of pine nuts threatens local ecosystems.
– Destruction of pinyon pine woods in the US due to land conversion.
– Destructive harvesting techniques in China and Russia impact production.
– Increased culinary uses for pine nuts contribute to the issue.
– Losses in production capacity due to removal of trees for timber.
**3. Harvesting and Production:**
– Pine nuts reach full maturity under favorable environmental conditions.
– Maturity varies by species with development starting in early spring.
– Harvesting involves drying cones until they fully open.
– Extraction methods include striking cones in a burlap bag.
– Fallen seeds can also be gathered beneath the trees.
**4. Nutritional Value and Culinary Uses:**
– Energy: 2,815 kJ (673 kcal) per 100g
– Carbohydrates: 13.1 g
– Fat: 68.4 g, saturated 4.9 g
– Protein: 13.7 g
– Vitamins: Rich in Vitamin E (62% DV), Vitamin K (45% DV), Thiamine (33% DV), Niacin (28% DV), among others
– Minerals: Good source of Copper (144% DV), Iron (31% DV), Magnesium (60% DV), Zinc (58% DV), among others
– Pine nuts have been consumed since the Paleolithic period and used in various cuisines worldwide.
**5. Other Uses and Pine Nut Syndrome:**
– Native American tribes use pine nut shells for decorative beads.
– Pine nut collection is a protected right in the Great Basin area.
– Pine nut syndrome is a rare condition characterized by a metallic or bitter taste after consuming pine nuts.
– Pine nuts are commonly used in salads, pesto sauce, and desserts.
– Designs burned into shells reflect traditional basket designs and are often used in women’s regalia and jewelry.
Pine nuts, also called piñón (Spanish: [piˈɲon]), pinoli (Italian: [piˈnɔːli]), or pignoli, are the edible seeds of pines (family Pinaceae, genus Pinus). According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, only 29 species provide edible nuts, while 20 are traded locally or internationally owing to their seed size being large enough to be worth harvesting; in other pines, the seeds are also edible but are too small to be of notable value as human food.
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As pines are gymnosperms, not angiosperms (flowering plants), pine nuts are not "true nuts"; they are not botanical fruits, the seed not being enclosed in an ovary which develops into the fruit, but simply bare seeds—"gymnosperm" meaning literally "naked seed" (from Ancient Greek: γυμνός, romanized: gymnos, lit. 'naked' and σπέρμα, sperma, 'seed'). The similarity of pine nuts to some angiosperm fruits is an example of convergent evolution.