About
Products
Blog
Nutology 101
Comments/Order

Here is a short primer on the world of the odd nuts. I found more interesting factoids and history than I’d expected.

Cashews:

  • The cashews tree grows in tropical areas and belongs to the Anacardiaceae family which has four hundred species including the mango and the pistachio.
  • “The word “cashew” is derived from the Tupian language family of South America, where the cashew tree originated, and specifically the language of the Tupi people, who were indigenous to the Brazilian coastline before Portuguese”. colonization.(7)(www.foodprint.org/real-food/cashews/).
  • ”The tree grows a apple-like fruit with one nut in a hard gray shell at the bottom. Although called a nut, cashews are not considered a true nut but are a edible seed of the cashew tree. True nuts are a dry fruit where there is a single seed inside a hard shell protected by a husk(8)(www.britannica.com/plant/cashew). 
  • They are primarily grown in India, Vietnam, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Tanzania, Benin, Brazil and other countries in East and West Central Africa and South East Asia.  World production currently ranges between 720,000 and 790,000 metric tons(9)(www.foodprint.org/real-food/cashews/).
  • Cashews are rich in iron which helps the immune system, and vitamin K that aids in blood clotting and healthy bones. They have monosaturated fats which may lower bad cholesterol.(10)(www.cashews.org/nutrition/)
  • Cashews are relatively sustainable. While most tree nuts are water intensive, the cashew tree has a smaller footprint and is harvested in its natural environment. There are some labor issues surrounding cashews in countries like Côte d’Ivoire so it is best to buy fair trade nuts.(9)(www.foodprint.org/real-food/cashews/)

Pecans: 

  • The pecan is the only major tree nut that grows in North America.  It is a member of the walnut family Juglandaceae native to that part of the world.  (10)www.britannica.com/plant/pecan. 
  • The word “pecan” is Native American in origin. An Algonquinn word that means “nuts requiring a stone to crack”. (11)(www.priesters.com/ten-fun-factsaboutpecans.) 
  • The male flowers of the tree form catkins of clusters of flowers, with the female flowers at the end. At maturity fleshy husks are formed that split freeing the dark brown pecan nut.  The tree is cultivated in Texas, Nebraska, Indiana, Georgia, Mississippi, and occasionally Alabama. Georgia alone is home to more than 600, 000 pecan trees. Pecans are also grown in Australia and South Africa. (10)(www.britannica.com/plant/pecan)
  • Pecans are high in fat but in heart-healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. They have vitamin A and vitamin E and some B-vitamins. They are high in potassium with helps lower blood sugar and fiber which helps reduce cholesterol and stabilize blood sugar. (12)(www.verywellfit.com/pecan-nutrition-facts-calories-and-health-benefits-4114348)
  • Pecans take a average amount of water to grow and are generally considered sustainable and a grown locally so they don’t require the transportation that other nuts do. Some farmers can use an excessive amount of pesticides. (13)(www.foodprint.org/real-food/pecans)

Walnuts:

  • The walnut tree a member of the same Juglandaceae family as pecans native to North America and South America, Southern Europe, Asia, and the West Indies.(14)(www.britannica.com/plant/walnut-tree-and-nut).
  • Cultivation of the European walnut is though to go back some 7000’s years to central Asia though the origins are disputed. They are considered the oldest known tree food. The Romans grew them across Europe and North Africa.  The Black walnut is native to North America.  (15)(www.jbssinc.com/about-nuts/walnuts/).
  • Today China is the leading producer of walnuts followed by the United States, Iran, and Turkey. Walnut nut orchards have a typical life span of 60-100 years, but in favorable circumstances they can live for 300 years (16)(fruitandnut.ie/walnuts.html).
  • They are among the nutritious of all nuts. Walnuts are high in magnesium, maganese, copper, and alpha lineolic acid which is a plant based Omega 3 fatty acids that are anti-inflammatory and improve cardiovascular and brain health. (17)(/www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods/walnuts#nutrition)
  • Like almonds, most walnuts are grown in California in the United States but they do not take as much water to grow as almonds (18)(greenecofriend.co.uk/how-eco-friendly-are-nuts) Black walnuts are potentially even more sustainable, at least on a small scale, since they are wild-grown and harvested by hand. They require no pesticides and don’t need fossil-fuel-driven machines for harvesting. (19)www.foodrevolution.org/blog/walnut-benefits/

References:

  1. “Sustainability.” Academic Impact United Nations, www.un.org/en/academic-   impact/sustainability. Acessed April 7, 2025.
  • Fulton, Julian, Norton, Michael, Schilling, Fraiser. “Water Indexed Benefits and Impacts of California Almonds. ”Science Direct Vol 96, Part 1,pp 711-717 January, 2019,  Elsevier Ltd.  doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2017.12.063 Accessed March 31, 2025.
  • “Cashew Nut.”  Cashews Global Cashew Council. 2025 Cashew Global Council, www.cashews.org/nutrition. Accessed April 1, 2025.
  1.  The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “Pecan”. Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 December, 2024,

www.britannica.com/plant/pecan Accessed April 2, 2025.

  1. “Ten Fun Facts About Pecans.” 2025 Priesters Pecans, www.priesters.com/ten-fun-facts-about-pecans?srsltid=AfmBOorQWg5c1L5UbJ0EcQGvLYOxxYmR66BMWqVmSJy46CxuB790EaAp  Accessed April 2, 2025.
  1. Frey, Malia. “ Pecans: Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits.” Verywell Fit 22 May, 2024 Dotdash Media Inc. www.verywellfit.com/pecan-nutrition-facts-calories-and-health-benefits-4114348. Accessed April 2, 2025.
  1. “Real Food Encyclopedia: Pecans”. 2025 Footprint.org. GRACE

communication foundation, www.foodprint.org/real-food/pecans.

Accessed April 2, 2025.

  1. The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “Walnut”, Encyclopedia Britannica 20 March, 2025.

www.britannica.com/plant/walnut-tree-and-nut. Accessed April 2, 2025.

  1. ‘Walnuts” John B. Fillipo and Sons Inc. 2025 John B. Fillipo and Sons Inc.,     www.jbssinc.com/about-nuts/walnuts  Accessed April 2, 2025.
  1. Wilson, Andie. “Walnuts.” Fruit and Nut. 2019, November, www.fruitandnut.ie/index.html.  Accessed April 2, 2025.
  1. Arnarson, Atli Walnuts: Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits” Verywell Fit, 17 February, 2023 Dotdash Media Inc. www.verywellfit.com/walnuts-nutrition-facts-calories-and-health-benefits-4114348. Accessed April 3, 2025.
  1. Kate “How Eco Friendly Are Nuts.” Green Eco Friend, 24 November, 2023, greenecofriend.co.uk/how-eco-friendly-are-nuts. Acessed April 3, 2025.
  1. Robbins, Ocean. “Walnuts: Benefits, Nutrition, and Sustainability.”  The Food Revolution Network, 18 February, 2025 www.foodrevolution.org/blog/walnut-benefits Accessed April 3, 2025.

Copyright The Odd Nut 2025A commitment to innovation and sustainability

Études is a pioneering firm that seamlessly merges creativity and functionality to redefine architectural excellence.