12 Types of Edible Nuts

A nut is a dry fruit with a single edible seed surrounded by a tough outer shell that does not split open to release its seed upon maturity. These botanical nuts, or true nuts, include chestnuts, hazelnuts, and pine nuts. Other common nuts like almonds and pecans are technically drupes, a type of fruit that has an edible seed enclosed in a shell surrounded by fleshy fruit. The peanut, one of the most popular nuts, is not a true nut; it actually belongs to the legume family alongside peas and lentils.

These edible seeds all have tough outer shells that do not crack open when they fall to the ground during harvesting. There are many different types of nuts, including:

1. Chestnuts: Chestnut trees are part of the beech family. European chestnuts (sweet chestnuts), Chinese chestnuts, and Japanese chestnuts are the most commonly eaten varieties.

2. Hazelnuts: Hazelnuts are small tree nuts, but they pack a lot of flavor. You can use hazelnuts to make Italian gianduja and Belgian pralines, and they pair especially well with chocolate.

3. Macadamia nuts: Macadamia nuts are native to Australia. Growers harvest them after they drop to the ground. Indigenous Australians were the first to eat the round, difficult-to-cultivate nuts. Macadamia nuts are especially popular in white chocolate macadamia nut cookies.

4. Pine nuts: Famous for their role in classic Italian pesto, pine nuts have a rich, buttery flavor that develops further upon toasting. Growers have to pry the nuts out of the pinecones, making them incredibly labor-intensive to harvest.

Culinary nuts are edible seeds that are high in fatty acids and surrounded by a hard shell.

1. Almonds: Almonds are a popular type of tree nut and one of the most versatile culinary nuts. These oblong, dark-brown tree nuts add a burst of flavor to marzipan and chicken korma. Almonds are also the source of a wide variety of products like almond flour, almond oil, and almond milk.

2. Brazil nuts: Brazil nut trees are native to the Amazon and only thrive in wild, undisturbed areas. Brazil nuts are full of antioxidants and polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, and you can eat them raw or roasted.

3. Cashews: Native to Brazil, cashews are members of the sumac family that produce a red fruit called a cashew apple, from the end of which protrudes the cashew nut. You can eat cashews as a healthy snack or use them to make cashew milk.

4. Peanuts: Most culinary nut varieties are edible seeds of drupes (fruits with a single seed, such as peaches). Peanuts, however, are legumes from the pea family. Peanut butter and peanut oil come from roasted or raw peanuts.

5. Pecans: Pecans are an edible tree nut with a rich, buttery flavor. Pecans grow on a type of hickory tree and have a green outer husk that turns brown as they mature. Pecans have a particularly high fat content, with almost as much fat as butter, making them a great addition to desserts, like pecan pie.

6. Pistachios: Pistachios have a bright green nut protected within a beige pistachio shell. Middle Eastern desserts like baklava and halva commonly feature the unique flavor of pistachios.

7. Walnuts: Whole walnuts are green as they grow and ripen to a pale yellow. Fully mature walnuts fall from the walnut tree, and growers harvest them off the ground. The buttery texture and mild flavor of walnuts are ideal for baked goods, and a small handful of walnuts makes for a great snack.

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