savouryindulgences,either,whether
puréedintosoupsandpestosorsprin-
kledonfreshsalads.Mylight,buttery
crunch(whichisallthemoredelight-
fulifyoutoastmeuntilI’mfragrant)
allowsmetoaddjustenoughtexture
toa dishtomakeit interestingwithout
creatinga strainonyourjaw.Youcan’t
saythataboutalmonds!
Speakingof my morepopular
(butsomemightsaylessfabulous)
colleague,youmaybeinterestedto
knowthatneitherofusare botanical-
lynutsatall– norare
pistachiosorcashews,
forthatmatter.Anut
featuresa seedsealed
inside ahard outer
shell with no flesh
ontheoutside.Think
acorns,chestnutsand
hazelnuts.
However,if youwere
topickmeoffthetreeinsteadofoff
thestoreshelf,you’dseeI amthepit
insidethegreen,fleshylayerofmy
fruit.Andthesoftstuffyoueatisactu-
allytheseedinsidethatpit.Ifyou’ve
evercrackedopenapeachpitand
foundanalmond-shapedseedinside,
you’llknowwhatI’mgettingat.
Astoughasmyshellcanget,deli-
cateoilsfoundwithinthelobescan
gorancidfairlyeasily.IfI’mbitter
orlingeringlymusty,thenwe’dbest
goourseparateways.Ifyou’renot
goingtoeatmerightaway,putmein
thefridgeoreveninthefreezer in a
well-sealed, airtight bag.
Ifyoupickmyfruitearly,before
thepithasfullyhardened,youcan
doratherunexpectedthings.InBrit-
aintheypickleme,briningmewhole
insaltwaterandpreservingmeina
brown-sugar-and-spicesyrup.With
thatI becomedelicateandsoft;you
canslicecleanthroughmeandsee
theseed,theproto-shell,andtherim
offruitf lesh.Butwhat’sreallyfasci-
natingisthecolourofa pickledwal-
nut:black.That’sbecausemyclear,
milkyjuiceturnsdarkwhenit’sex-
posedtoair.
Youngwalnutfruit
provide that same
inkycolourtonocino,
theItalianafter-din-
ner drinkmade by
macerating me in
high-proofliquorwith
sugarandspices.In
ancientRomethey
wouldcombinemytintedsapwith
leeches,ashesandcharredthings
tomakedarkhairdye.Myjuicewas
alsousedtomakewalnutink,which
Rembrandt,LeonardoandRubens
aresaidtohaveusedforsomeoftheir
sketches.
TheEncyclopediaofHairwilltell
youthatin17th-centuryEngland,
theoilexpressedfrommyseedwas
usedasadepilatory,thinningthe
eyebrowsandhairlinesofwomen
whenthatlookwasinfashion.Now,
inexplicably,walnutoilistouted
asa baldnesscure.Sufficeittosay
you might be better off notusing“I’MALSOA
STAR WHEN IT
COMESTOYOUR
DIGESTION,GIVEN
THATI’MHIGH
IN FIBRE”53