In the United States, the Pinon, better know as the pine nut, is from the Great Basin region which extends into Mexico and covers most of Nevada and over half of Utah, as well as parts of California, Idaho, Oregon and Wyoming. Pinon are also common in other parts of the world, wherever pine trees grow. Pine nuts are the edible seeds of pines (family Pinaceae, genus Pinus). About 20 species of pine produce seeds large enough to be worth harvesting; in other pines the seeds are also edible, but are too small to be of great value as a human food. In Europe, pine nuts come from the Stone Pine (Pinus pinea), which has been cultivated for its nuts for over 6,000 years, and harvested from wild trees for far longer.
Native Americans have always considered the pinon as a staple, grinding them into a paste they ate either cold or hot like a soup.
Pine nuts have been eaten in Europe and Asia since the Paleolithic period. They are frequently added to meat, fish, and vegetable dishes. In Italian they are called pinoli or pignoli[6] and are an essential component of Italian pesto sauce. The pignoli cookie, an Italian specialty confection, is made of almond flour formed into a dough similar to that of a macaroon and then topped with pine nuts. Pine nuts are also featured in the salade landaise of southwestern France. Pine nut coffee, known as piñón (Spanish for pine nut), is a speciality found in the southwest United States, especially New Mexico, and is typically a dark roast coffee having a deep, nutty flavour; roasted and lightly salted pine nuts can often be found sold on the side of the road in cities across New Mexico to be used for this purpose. The Nevada Pine Nut, or Great Basin pine nut has a sweet fruity flavor and is relished for its large size, sweet flavor and ease of peeling. Pine nuts are also used in chocolates and desserts such as baklava. It is also a widely used ingredient in Middle Eastern cuisine, reflected in a diverse range of dishes such as kibbeh, sambusek, ladies' fingers and many others.
Today, the pine nut is a much appreciated culinary ingredient. When American Southwestern cooking became recognized as an important cuisine, the pine nut was introduced to the general public in the United States. Pine nuts are considered to be fairly expensive, but the harvesting of pine seed is not an easy process. The shelf life on the pinon is very short. Keep them in your freezer!
As for me, my favorite recipe using pine nuts is Pignoli, the Italian cookie. This is the perfect way to taste the true nutty flavor of the pine nut.
· 2 lbs almond paste
· 1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
· 8 egg whites (room temperature)
· 1 lb pignoli (we are speaking Italian!) nuts
· 1 1/2 cups sugar
· 2 tablespoons honey
· 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
Cream together the almond paste, sugars and honey into a smooth batter. Beat the egg whites until stiff, then gradually mix into the batter, along with the vanilla. Spread the pignoli in a dish. Drop the batter by teaspoonful into the nuts, then place onto a lightly greased cookie sheet at 1-inch apart.Bake in a preheated 350 F oven for 12-14 minutes or until golden. Remove carefully from baking sheet with a spatula while still warm. Makes about 4 dozen.