My 10 Favorite Nuts

published October 19, 2009

First and foremost, I'm not going to get into what a nut and what a legume is. I know peanuts are considered legumes, but for the purposes of my favorite nuts, it counts as a nut. So many people have the unfortunate condition of being deathly allergic to nuts, and that is a big bummer, because nuts are delicious (not testicles you pervert). Here are my 10 favorite nuts (with a couple legumes if you are a stickler).

#10 - Chestnut - I was debating whether to put sunflower seeds instead of the chestnut, but that may open up a whole new can of worms as far as classification. Chestnuts are hard as hell to get open, and aren't even that rewarding once you get to eat it. They are also the subject of one of the worst and annoying christmas songs ever. Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, gah, I hate that song.

 

#9 - Brazil Nut - These strange nuts are produced more in Bolivia than Brazil, and some would consider it a seed rather than a nut. Regardless, it's called the Brazil nut, not the Brazil seed. These shells are among the most difficult ad frustrating to open. The nut itself is quite good, but there's just too much nut. I get sick of the brazil nut after only a couple of them.

 

#8 - Pine Nuts - The nut itself is quite average, but it's a key ingrediant in many pastas, especially pesto. I absolutely love pesto. Get me some gnocchi in a good pesto sauce, and I won't even need any meat with it.

 

#7 - Walnut - Ah the wonders of the walnut. Thin shell, and a lot of nut. Problem is, the walnut tastes a bit dirty and oily, and there's all that residue that comes with the walnut. However, they have omega-3, and omega-3 is power!

 

#6 - Pecan - The flavorful pecan is a delicious nut that you'll usually find in store without the shell. The algonquin name 'pecan' apparently means, "nut that requires a stone to crack." Despite it's impossible shell, this is a favorite flavor for pies, cookies and other desserts. Another neat thing is that they are originally native to the good ole US of A.

 

#5 - Cashew - Dane Cook did his best to ruin this nut for me, but it didn't work. The cashew comes from the stem of a weird pear-like fruit, but these always will come from the store out of its shell. They are delicious softer versions of the peanut, but in my opinion the peanut is just a tad bit tastier.

 

#4 - Peanut - The good ole fashioned peanut has been a friend of humans since the earliest days of cultivation. The peanut is everywhere, whether in your peanut butter, flavoring for an awesome Thai dish, sprinkled on your ice cream, or in your cracker jacks. They're also easy to peel, and delicious. You can eat em wet, honey roasted, or right out of the shell. There's nothing like a bag of peanuts and a beer at a ballgame.

 

#3 - Macadamia Nut - The only nut native to Australia makes its presence felt at number 3, and they are absolutely delicious. A chocolate covered macadamia nut is heaven in candy form. Thank you Australia for this wonderful nut.

 

#2 - Pistachio - Oh man I love pistachios. They're easy to cultivate, just shake trees and they fall, and often times the shells are conveniently partially opened up. I can go through bags of this stuff before realizing that I've eaten bagfuls.

 

#1 - Almond - Only the almond can top the delicious pistachio. I can't quite describe why I love almonds so much. They're just absolutely delicious and great when roasted and on ice cream. One thing all these nuts have in common, is that they're all healthy. You can eat these nuts knowing that they'll prevent heart disease. Or something.

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