Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-11-15
NUTS AS FOOD
By FREDERIC J. HASKIN.

| The increase in the consumption OF
| nuts by Americans has been so rapiu
within the last few years that. even an'ohs
people who do not subscribe to the vege-
| tarian's enthusiasm. nut eating mas al
! most reached the proportions OF fao'
Unlike most fads. however. nut ea1ins
and nut raising are altogether rational
and the nut industry Is being fostereo
In every possible way by the Department
Of Agriculture. and by various states
which are adapted dramatically for nut
production.
In early days nuts were looked upon
as luxury in the United States. chiefly
because the fashionable varieties--Eng-
lish walnut. almond, Grail nuts cocoa
nut and pistachio-were imported. while
the more humble native nuts. the hickory,
hazel. butter and peanut, were left to
the country boy. Today. however. the
conditions are changed. While We still
import large quantities Of nuts. the bulk
to our supply OF domestic, the almond
being grown proftably in several states,
the pecan having attained wide popu-
larity and the inexpensive panut of Viz
ginia. the Carolinas and Georgia having
been raised to a position of respectabiilty
by the investigations Of dietitians who
have proclaimed it among the richest
in food properties.
The edible portion of nuts. with very
few exceptions, is highly concentrated food,
water. In general. nuts are also rich In
protein, the peanut containing 9.s per
cent Of this nutrlment. while the butter
nut. beechnut. almond and Brazil nut
ALSO rank high. The nut richest In RAJ
is the pecan, which contains 1o1 per
cent, with the Brazil nut a close second.
with 6 per cent.
For number of years the nut as an
Article Of food has been stigmatized by
It's reputa-
Nuts Long Regarded tIon for in
as Being 1ndigestible. This idea
has gained prevalence largely because
the nut has never been gwen its proper
place on the menu. .hough highly
concentrated form of food. We are &C
customed to eating it as a sort Of post
Jude to a hearty meal, thus overcrowd-
ing the digestive organs and causing dis
comfort. recent experiments have dem
onstrated that II nuts were eaten as an
integral part Of the meal and not as
supplementary feature of a condiment
there would be no III effects. Much
stress is now laid upon the thorough
masticasion OF nuts. and scientists who
advocate their use for food insist upon
an inclusion of fruits and green vege.
tables to furnish necessary bulk required
by the digestive organs.
The increasing popularity OF the nut has
resulted in multiplying its uses and the
forms in which 1t may be served. One OF
the most popular uses to which 1t has
heep iS in h1rffeTg Of vQYfOnS kinds
peanut butter being sold in ton lots at
present The nut buffers, being made from
finely ground particles OF the kernels, are,
as general proposition. more readily d.
gested than the nut proper. and they are
much used by vegetarians, as we'll as by
persons who cannot eat animal fats and
who finds in these a pleasing variety.
The use Of nuts in confectionery is con-
stantly increasing in the United States.
while among
Use in Confectionery the Germans
Constantly Increasing. been popular
for many years in such forms as the
highly ornamental cakes called ''marzi-
pam" Among nut products may be men-
toned the nut fiours and meals, some of
which are being manufactured on a COM
mercial scale. As q rule the edible nuts
are made into meal by blanching, thor
oughly drying and grinding. BY using a
nut mill the meal may be made at home,
Almond meal has been on the market for
number OF years. and is highly valued
by physicians as diet for diabetic pa
tients. Chestnut -four is also on sale In
the United States. being used for most Of
the culinary purposes for which the fresh
nut is recommended. In Italy this flour
constitutes a considerable portion of the
food OF peasants. especially in certain
districts of Tuscany There the whole
nuts are eaten in q variety of ways. both
cooked and raw. Early travellers and ex-
plorers in. this country found that the
Indians used nuts as a staple food. and
in California certain tribes still use
ground acorns and horse chestnuts for
-four. Flour Of the latter, Of course. has
to be bleached in order to remove the Bit
ter and poisonous principles.
The use of nuts as an important ingre-
dent in certain breakfaet foods and as a
substitute for coffee Is familiar to every
reader OF advertisements. while the thrifty
housewife does not need to be told Of the
delectabie culinary possibilities of the pc