8 Walnut Delicacies That Will Make You Feel Great

Blessed are the curious in the kitchen, for they shall have adventures. When we think of walnut desserts, they are food that can really distract you. As usual, the French have it right.

France – Opera Cake

The Opera Cake is a Queen among desserts, known with its delicate, and intensely flavored layers. It has got several renditions, but it’s a French classic and legend has it has been first presented at the Paris Culinary Exposition in 1903. One bite of the cake is a beautiful little piece of heaven. You need the courage to bake an Opera Cake if you want it to be an absolute success. It is layered: cake, buttercream, and ganache; it is full of crunchy walnuts, it is delicious and addictive, it is insane. It creates music in your mouth.

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Walnuts, Pistachios and Reproductive Health in Men

Walnuts and fertility

Think about the walnut and the refreshing feeling it gives to your palate with its fairly mild, earthy, tart, nutty, sweet flavor. What can feel better than this besides lovemaking? Scientists found out that the walnuts can also mess with your reproduction capabilities. But how?
Walnuts are wonderful for increasing the number of sperm cells since they contain zinc and the antioxidant Vitamin E. A research, which has been recently published in the magazine Biology of Reproduction discovered, that eating walnuts on a daily basis can help improve the quality of reproductive fluid in men, in their prime. The research revealed that consuming just 75 grams of walnuts daily enhances the vitality, mobility, and accidence of sperm in robust men.

The study was supported by the California Walnut Commission and it concentrated on evaluating the properties of sperm of 117 healthy, young men between 21 and 35. Half of them consumed 75 grams of walnuts every day in the procession of 12 weeks. As a result, men from both groups surprisingly did not gain weight. They did not change significantly in their body composition or activity.
However, the participants from both groups had their semen quality explored according to its fertility traits: concentration, mobility, vitality, and morphology. Amazingly, the men who consumed walnuts every day exhibited improvement in all aspects.

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The History of the Nutcrackers

“The Nutcracker sits under the holiday tree, a guardian of childhood stories. Feed him walnuts and he will crack open a tale…”

―  Vera Nazarian, The Perpetual Calendar of Inspiration

There are things that no matter what time of the year it is, always remind us of Christmas.  They make us want to go back to those cold December days when we gather around the Christmas tree and indulge in all kinds of amazing food. So when I think of these holy times I think of sparkling decorations, twinkling lights and roasting walnuts in the fireplace.  And speaking of nuts, something that for sure is needed in order to enjoy their nutty goodness and is an indispensable part of the decoration on any Christmas table is THE NUTCRACKER.

This little, but a most useful tool, has for sure been a part of everyone’s childhood memories, no matter if it came with the classic, old-school design of a bearded soldier who cracks nuts with his mouth or a more modern version. We have all no doubt felt the excitement that comes with taking your time to break through a just roasted nut and then enjoy the sweet taste, munching away on its delicious content.

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Buying Guide to Nutcrackers

When we think about nutcrackers, there are two images that come to our minds. The first one is the traditional German nutcracker soldiers and alike and then the one that is usually in our kitchen’s drawer along with other utensils. Of course, some of the first types are not really functional as the Mary Beth Albright from National Geographic shares with us in her article “Why fancy nutcrackers do not actually crack nuts”.

There is a third totally new kind of nutcrackers, which offer completely different approach. This is the patented nutcracker by Drosselmeyer.

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Top 10 Health Benefits of Walnuts

Once reserved only for royalties and people from the higher class, it is not a surprise that the walnut – amazingly delicious and packed full of goodies seed, is one of the best known and loved nuts in the world today.

It is not certain where the walnut originated from. Archeologists assume it might have come from Ancient Persia, though signs of people using walnuts have been spotted as far as the Himalayas and into Turkey, Italy, and Switzerland. The botanical name of the walnut tree is Juglans Regia and it comes from the ancient Romans, meaning “The royal acorn of Jupiter” – very fancy, wouldn’t you say?! In Afghanistan, it is called Charmarghz (four brains) since walnuts resemble a human brain.

The most common types of walnuts around the world are the English walnut (that comes from ancient Persia, but was made known around the world by English merchants, hens the name) and the black walnut – indigenous to North America.

Nutritional value

In a 100g of serving there is 654 kcal. Walnuts contain a rich variety of healthy goods like antioxidants, nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. They are also an amazing source of monounsaturated fatty acid, phosphorus, Vitamin B, and manganese. The walnut oil is particularly interesting because it is largely composed of polyunsaturated fatty acid that can be beneficial in reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Around the world

Walnuts are extremely versatile with their culinary uses as they can be eaten raw, roasted, with salty or sweet dishes and even pickled. For example, in Iran, they use walnuts to prepare a dish called Khoresh-e Fesenjān – a stew made with pomegranate syrup and grounded walnuts. In Turkey, walnuts are added to a lot of sweet desserts, including Halva and Baklava. They are also an irreplaceable ingredient in the famous Mediterranean diet. In France, they like to cover roasted walnut in cocoa butter and cocoa for a delicious and delicate sweet snack. In Syria, a dish called Muhammara is prepared with Aleppo peppers, grounded walnuts, olive oil, and breadcrumbs. It is an amazingly tasty spread for all the spicy food lovers. Walnuts are a must-have on Bulgarian tables during New Year. It is an old tradition to break a walnut in order to see what the upcoming year would look like.

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10 Interesting Facts About Hazelnuts In Legends And Myths

With its tasty nuts and inclination to grow near water, the hazel tree has been a traditional symbol of fertility and wisdom. Hazelnuts are sometimes hung in rooms to bring fertility to the dwellers.

In Scotland, nuts were hung around the necks of children as amulets against the Evil Eye. During the Samhain Rituals nuts were burned into the hearth and by their patterns, wise people interpreted clues about the future. The magical wands and staffs of the druid wizards were also made by the hazelnut tree.

The Irish mythological poems the Dindshenchas describe five great trees of ancient Ireland, including an oak, which bore nuts and apples as well as acorns, just like the trees, which Celts believed grew in the Otherworld.

In the branches of the nut trees lived the fairy folk Ferri Shyne  – in green and red attires, with little cups and coats, they enjoyed disorienting people, who walked upon the hills at evening time, so that they eventually lost their direction.

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Top 10 Health Benefits of Hazelnuts

hazelnuts

Hazelnuts, also known as filberts have been steadily gaining popularity thanks to their use in goodies like the famous and beloved by old and young, cocoa spread called Nutella. And it is not a surprise as these little, crunchy kernels are delicious no matter if you eat them raw, roasted or grounded to a paste. However, hazelnuts are not just yummy – they are good for your health too. Full of antioxidants, fiber, and proteins, hazelnuts are the ideal food for someone on a vegetarian regimen. These nuts act like a natural antioxidant and they are full of iron and vitamins.

Evidence of nut processing on the island of Colonsay in Scotland have been traced back to the Mesolithic and have been dated to be 9, 000 years old. This is a significant discovery as it gives us a look at the way of life at that period. It is known that Romans also cultivated hazelnuts. In China, the filbert was considered as one of the “five sacred nourishments God bestowed on human beings”, according to a manuscript from the 2838 BC. During the 1800’s there was a boom in the cultivated varieties of hazelnuts and in 1830 – the “Kentish Cobnut” (the first widespread cultivar) was presented.

Nutritional value

In 100 grams serving of hazelnut, there are 628 kcal. These little nuts are super high in protein, fiber, magnesium, phosphorus, Vitamin E and thiamin – a vitamin often used as a dietary supplement. In addition, hazelnut consists of a substantial supply of B vitamins, vitamin K, zinc, calcium, and potassium. They are also a great source of total fats that include monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, actually – 100g of nuts provide 93% of the needed daily value.

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How Nuts Are Used in Cosmetics

Hazelnuts-nutcracker

Women have been using nut ingredients in their beauty routine forever. It is enough to say that some essential oils are derived from nuts. We are well aware of the healing and embellishing qualities of essential oils. Nuts provide us with the opportunity to nourish and care for our bodies and naturally accomplish our beauty potential.

Nuts In Antiquity

It was recently discovered by researchers in Israel, that nuts have been a significant part of the man’s diet for thousands of years. (1) Since centuries people have been aware of their special faculties. Some sources claim that the Egyptian Queen Cleopatra used to put almond oil together with fresh honey in her donkey milk bath – for a soft and glowing skin. (4)

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51 Curious Facts About The Nuts

Walnut Nutcrackers

According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word “nut” comes from the Latin nux, which is akin to nucleus. No one believes it’s challenging to define “nuts.”  Still, even if they are widely popular as nuts, the peanut is defined as a legume, the coconuts as a drupe, and the Brazil nut as a seed. (1)
But we want to deal with them as well, for they generate similar benefits for the human well-being and can be consumed on a daily basis, as a part of healthy diet, and ingredients in organic cosmetics. So they do not meet the scientific definition, but they are still considered “nuts” in the culinary sense. A study of the Harvard School of Public Health discovered that women, who consumed nuts regularly, had 32% lower chance of enduring a heart attack compared to women who avoid nuts.

So, here are some Nuts And Amazing Facts About Them:

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