Pine Nuts. Whats so special about them? I love the taste of them, and they feel oily are they good for you?

Answer 1

Pine nuts are one of the earliest ingredients of Italian cooking. Romans, amongst other things, invented the Hamburger and their recipe involved mixing their ground meat with pine nuts ("pignoli") to add texture and flavouring.

As for healthy, they have a high concentration of mono unsaturated fat, which paves the way for a healthier cardiovascular system. The vitamin D in pine nuts leads to stronger bones and teeth, by improving the body's ability to absorb calcium, and vitamins A and C helps to sharpen vision and boost the immune system.

if you want a few suggestions try the link below, it gives a little bit of the history as well.

Answer 2

I love pine nuts too, especially when used with rice, etc., to stuff peppers. They're the edible seeds of pines and are actually found within the pine cone, so although it's a nut in the culinary sense, in the botanical sense pine nuts are seeds. About 20 species of pine produce seeds large enough to harvest; the seeds of other pines are also edible, but they're too small to be of value as a human food. Pine nuts contain between 10–34% of protein, with those from Stone Pine (cultivated for their seeds in Europe for 6,000 years) having the highest content. Like nuts, they also contain oil and are a source of dietary fibre. They can be pressed to extract their oil, which is valued both for its mild, nutty flavour and its health benefits such as appetite suppression and antioxidant action. (Lab tests have found that a compound found in the nuts, 'pinolenic acid', stimulates the release of two appetite-suppressing hormones: cholecystokinin (CCK) and GLP1 (a glucagon-like peptide). Once bought, the nuts need to be used quite quickly, as shelled nuts - and unshelled nuts in warm conditions, deteriorate rapidly, becoming rancid within a few weeks and even a few days in very warm, humid conditions. (Mine are never in the cupboard long enough to worry about them going off!). On the third link below you'll find a VERY detailed breakdown of the nutrional value of pine nuts. Enjoy!

Answer 3

Pine nuts can be pressed to extract pine nut oil, which is valued both for its mild, nutty flavour and its health benefits such as appetite suppression and antioxidant action.

Answer 4

try this: on a bed of fresh spinach leaves, add bits of bacon (the real stuff, hot from the grill) slices of fresh mushroom and toasted pine nuts... a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and olive oil, and voilá! the most scrumptious warm spinach salad you ever had in your life. you can also add some grated emmenthal or gruyere cheese... tasty!

Answer 5

I love them too. Plus they have the good oils in them. So there's fat in them like any other nut, but it's good fat for the heart.