What Are Gingko Nuts?
The gingko or maidenhair tree produces both fruit and nuts. The nuts have not been popular in the US because the outer shells are distinctly "smelly," and people find the smell can be very off-putting. Yet in China, gingko nuts are considered a delicacy, and the trees are often thought sacred. They are so reverenced they may be planted near temples in certain Asian countries. Asians who favor gingko nuts know that once the badly smelling outer layer is peeled off the nut, the sweet, mild flavor, comparable to a chestnut or pistachio, is well worth it. The nuts are often roasted, where the resemblance between the gingko nut and the chestnut is even more closely understood.
Ripened gingko nuts grow into an oval shape, about 1 inch (2.54 cm) long and are pale yellow to green in color. A persimmon type fruit that needs to be removed surrounds the nuts — the fruit is what often imparts the smell many find so disagreeable. You then must dry the seeds, crack them, and many recommend boiling them for about 10 minutes, which allows the outside flesh of the nut to fall away from the core of the nut. In most cases people don't eat the inner core of gingko nuts because this is bitter.
Like other types of nuts, gingko nuts may cause nut allergies. If you've not eaten them in the past, you may want to try a few at first. It's also important to wear gloves when removing the fruit. Some people develop dermatitis from contact with the fruit pulp. If you want try gingko nuts, but would rather eliminate all this work, you can usually find them canned in Asian grocery stores in the US.
Gingko nuts in Chinese dishes may be added to soups, stews or stir-fried dishes, or the nuts may be eaten singly. It's only recently that gingko has come to the attention of most non-Asian Americans, as potentially helpful in memory retention. In traditional Chinese medicine, gingko nuts are considered to be an aphrodisiac.
Part of the reverence for the nut and the tree is that these trees are ancient. Scientists believe the gingko has been in existence for over 100 million years. It may have provided food for animals of the past. Eating gingko nuts today is truly eating a food that very likely early humans learned to harvest and eat too.
Written by Tricia Ellis-Christensen
