Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-08-24
NUTS NEW TO AMERICANS.
Varieties to Be Had at the Chinese

Varieties to Be Had at the Chinese
Shops and Their Use as Food.
The growing popularity Of nuts fol
food and the number Of new sorts in
troduced in recent years to the no.
tice of people in this country Il
ascribed by experts Of the depart
ment Of agriculture to the influx OF
immigrants from the southern nations
of Europe and the Orient.
pine nuts, for example" said q
member Of the plant industry bureau
of the department, which grow ir
the cones Of certain varieties Of ma
tive and foreign pines, are now fairly
common in our markets. 1t Is a fact
that the Indians have always known
and appreciated them. They are
small, rather pointed and white and
are usually marketed shelled, but a.
they grow they are covered with a
more or less hard, woody shell.
1.-The pistache nut, now grown In
California, has long been used and is
priced by confectioners for its delicate
flavor and attractive green color, yet
1t is by no means common. The nuts
are small, not unlike a bean in size
and shape, though more pointed, and
before marketing are freed from the
pods in which they grow. The indi-
vidual nuts are covered with a gray
or purplish skin and are blanched be-
fore they are used.
1.-The so-called lichi nut, which Il
really dried fruit surrounded by a
nutlike shell and not unlike raisin In
flavor, is a favorite in China and has
become common in this country. The
sinkgo nut, the fruit Of an ornamental
tree widely grown in the United
States and sometimes called the
maidenhair tree from the shape Of the
leaves and which fruits abundantly
in some regions, Is seldom eaten ex-
cept by the Chinese, who gather II
whenever possible. The small, round
ish, oval, thin shelled nut is surround
ed by very acrid, bad smelling pulp
the whole fruit being not unlike q
green damson plum in size and ap-
pearance.
I'm China, Corea and other parts OF
the Orient this nut Is much used as
a food, and 80 far as can be learned is
always cooked in some way. Roast
ed like a peanut It Is palatable. The
ginkgo nuts are on sale in various Chi
nese shops in the larger cities.
1.-The water chestnut, or horn chest
nut, an aquatic plant, produces q
seed or nut which somewhat resem-
bles two curved horns united into
one, the kernel Of which Is large
ly used as food by the inhabitants OF
Asiatic countries. 1t is on sale in the
United States to a certain extent, but
chiefly in Chinese shops.
Another water plant Is also known
as the water chestnut but in this case
it Is the CORN or bulb that is eaten. II
Is not unlike a chestnut in shape, and
has a tough brown skin. This Is grown
In Asia, but Is imported by the Chi
nese in this country.
"A three cornered pointed nut OF
seed, the pit of the Chinese olive, Ii
on sale at Chinese shops in the United
States. The kernels are oily but pal
atable, and are used in Java for max.
ing nut milk much esteemed for the
feeding Of infants.
1.-THE chufa, nut grass or earth al.
mond is a small tuberous root of
sedgelike plant and perhaps should
be classed as a vegetable rather thar
a nut. It is not common and is some.
times eaten.
"A nut which seems to be growing
in popularity, though still uncommon
Is the paradise nut Of South Amerf.
ca, which resembles a Brazil nut ir
appearance and flavor. Still less com.
mon is the South African cream nut
though 1t Is sometimes slipped into
this country.
1.-THE choicest member Of the Brazil
nut group is the true butternut Of the
tropics, which Is seldom found outside
that region. It's flavor Is very deli
cate and delicious, but it does not
keep we'll, and even IL it would bear
shipment successfully the available
supply Is a. present very small.
1.-The casnew nut of tropical regions
which many consider one Of the most
delicious nuts grown, has long been
known, but has never become COM
mon. 1t is sold to some extent in this
country and brings high prices. This
nut is roasted before 1t is eaten, as
the raw nut contains poisonous prop
critics which are readily destroyed by
heat.
1.-The oval, fiat and rather large
seeds Of a pumpkinlike fruit, tabebu-
la, from Zanzibar, which has been
grown in a limited way at the depart
ment's Porto Rico experiment station
are roasted and eaten like a nut. The
flavor is oily and fairly palatable.
This reminds one Of the use in Rus
sia of the raw sunfiower seed, which
Is rich in oil and not unlike some of
the common nuts in composition. The
seeds are eaten out of hand at all
times and by all sses."-New York
Sun.