
Each year May 17th recognizes the holiday squirrels go a little nutty over, National Walnut Day.
- Rounded, single-seeded stone fruits of the walnut tree, walnuts are a high-density source of nutrients, particularly proteins and essential fatty acids.
- Like other tree nuts, walnuts must be processed and stored properly.
- Grown for their seeds, the Persian or English Walnut and the Black Walnut are the two most common major species of walnuts.
- English Walnut, originated in Persia. commercially produced
- Black Walnut, native to eastern North America, high flavor, hard shell and poor hulling characteristics prevents its commercial growth for nut production.
- The husk of the walnut is peeled away from the shell at harvest. It contains juice that will readily stain anything it comes in contact with. The husk juice has been used as a cloth dye.
- The United States exports more walnuts than any other country. Ninety-nine percent of the nation’s commercial English walnuts are produced in the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys of California.
- China is the largest producer of walnuts in the world, producing nearly half of the global walnut supply.
- Walnuts are one of the oldest tree food known to man, dating back to 7000 B.C
- Walnuts were traded along the Silk Road route between Asia and the Middle East. Caravans carried walnuts to far off lands and eventually through sea trade, spreading the popularity of the walnut around the world.
- English merchant marines transported the product for trade to ports around the world and they became known as “English Walnuts.” England, in fact, never grew walnuts commercially.
- Walnuts are among the most nutritious of all nuts. There are 654 calories in 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of walnuts.
- Some of the health benefits of walnuts include a reduction of bad cholesterol in the body, an improvement in metabolism, and control of diabetes.
- They also good for anti-inflammatory properties, aid in weight management, and help as a mood booster.
- They are also believed to slow down the spread of cancer.
- The word “walnut” derives from Old English wealhhnutu, literally “foreign nut,” with wealh meaning “foreign.” The walnut was so called because it was introduced from Gaul and Italy. The previous Latin name for the walnut was nux Gallica, “Gallic nut.”
- The most walnuts crushed by the hand in one minute is 212, achieved by Prabhakar Reddy P, (India), in Andhra Pradesh, India, on 13 August 2017. Prabhakar beat the previous record by just one verified crushed walnut.
- The most walnuts cracked against the head in one minute is 181 and was achieved by Muhammed Rashid (Pakistan), in Udine, Italy, on 17 April 2016.
- Walnuts have always been considered as “Brain Food”, perhaps because the surface structure of the walnut has a crinkly appearance like that of the brain. Due to this reason, they have been considered as a symbol of intelligence, leading to the belief that they actually increase one’s intellect. While this is not exactly true, recent studies have proven that the consumption of these seeds does help in promoting brain function.
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