Pine nuts -- small, edible seeds extracted from the cones of various PINE species -- have been eaten worldwide as a flavorful, protein- and oil-rich food. They are expensive, however, because they are difficult to extract from the resinous cone and also because their hard shells must be removed by hand. Unshelled pine nuts have a long storage life because of their low moisture content.
European pine nuts, commonly called pignolia nuts, are obtained primarily from the stone pine, Pinus pinea, native to northern Mediterranean regions. These seeds are 1 cm (0.4 in) in length and are rich in oil. Pinon nuts of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico are gathered from several pine species, including the pinyon pine, P. edulis, and the single-leaf pinyon, P. monophylla. Similar in quality to pignolia nuts, pinons have a rich, slightly sweet taste.
Besides referring to seeds of other pine species throughout the world, the word pine nut also applies to the edible seeds of the Chilean MONKEY PUZZLE TREE, Araucaria araucana, and the New Zealand bunya-bunya pine, A. bidwillii.
Click here to see this month's aromatic recipe ">Chicken & Pine Nuts