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Nuts come in so many different varieties, shapes, textures, aromas and with different nutritional benefits. Not only can you snack on fresh, dried, toasted or roasted nuts, they're also suited to any number of sweet and savoury recipes.
From adding crunch to salads and sweets, to infusing baked food with delicate nutty aromas, to making sweet milks, nuts are so versatile, it's worth exploring their culinary potential and maximising their health benefits.
Below, we take a look at 10 of the most popular types of nuts.
Walnuts
These nutritional powerhouses are a great source of healthy fats, fibre, vitamins and minerals, they're also rich in antioxidants. What's more, walnuts are extremely versatile and can add extra crunch and boost the nutritional content of both sweet and savoury dishes, from salads and side dishes, to casseroles and stews.
The California Walnut Board recommend storing walnuts in the freezer to keep them at their best for longer.
Learn how to roast walnuts, with our Tried and Tasted recipe.
Hazelnuts
Hazelnuts, cobnuts or filberts, can be enjoyed fresh or dried, yielding different flavours, and are mainly grown in Turkey and Italy. They're very popular in baking and confectionery - think praline and cocoa spread - and can also be pressed to make the strongly flavoured Hazelnut cooking oil.
Hazelnuts are also an excelllent source of nutrients in a balanced diet. They're loaded with nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, antioxidant compounds and healthy fats, and have been linked to helping decrease blood fat levels, regulating blood pressure, reducing inflammation and improving blood sugar levels, among others.
Discover 10 sweet and savoury hazelnut recipes.
Cashews
Cashew nuts, from the seed of the cashew, are popularly eaten on their own as snacks, used in recipes, or processed into cashew cheese or cashew butter.
Cashew nuts have a higher calorie count than some other nuts, but are still a healthy addition to your diet, and are nutrient-dense and rich in healthy fats, proteins, essential vitamins, and minerals.
Discover sweet and savoury cashew recipes.
Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash
Macadamia nuts
These highly nutritious chickpea-sized nuts are prized for their sweet buttery flavour and creamy texture, and hail from Australia.
Macadamia nuts are rich in nutrients and beneficial plant compounds. They’re also linked to several benefits, including improved digestion, heart health, weight management, and blood sugar control.
Learn how to make macadamia white chocolate cookies with our easy to follow recipe.
Pistachios
These nutrient-dense nuts are packed with healthy fats, protein, fibre and protective antioxidants, and can help keep a healthy heart and eyes, among many other health benefits.
The kernels of pistachios are often eaten whole, either fresh or roasted and salted, and are also used in pistachio ice cream, kulfi, spumoni, pistachio butter, pistachio paste and confections such as baklava, pistachio chocolate, pistachio halva, pistachio lokum or biscotti, and cold cuts such as mortadella.
Try these sweet and savoury recipes starring pistachios.
Peanuts
Peanuts are a legume and edible seed, more like soybeans, lentils, though they’re rich in healthy unsaturated fats and fibre, just like tree nuts.
Peanuts are a popular ingredient in many dishes and cultures around the world, cultures; think satay peanut sauces, peanut butter, granola and trail mix.
Try this recipe for aubergine, coconut and peanut curry by Manu Buffara.
Almonds
Almonds, which are actually edible seeds, are often eaten roasted or in a natural version. This oily fruit produces both oil and milk, as well as being commonly used in confectionery, baking and in marzipan.
Although almonds are a high-fat food, much of this is in the form of monounsaturated fat, which helps to protect the heart by maintaining levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol.
Here are five easy ways to cook with almonds.
Pine nuts
Pine nuts are grown and used in cuisines all over the world, in both sweet and savoury celebration dishes. Despite being high in calories, pine nuts are rich in important nutrients, fibres, protein, vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants.
Delicious simply toasted, pine nuts are most famously used to make Genoese basil pesto, but are also a vital ingredient of diverse dishes made with minced meat, pastry, spinach, custard and chestnut flour
Pecan nuts
This delicious nut native to North America has a buttery flavour that is the perfect addition to both sweet and savoury dishes. What's more, they are 70 percent fat (the good kind), are loaded with antioxidants, and are rich in calcium, magnesium, protein and fibre.
Discover seven ways to cook with pecan nuts.
Brazil nuts
Brazil nuts can be eaten raw or blanched, however, they have a hard shell that needs to be cracked to get to the edible seed. They are a great source of protein, vitamins, selenium, niacin, calcium and iron. These versatile nuts can be cooked into any sweet and savoury dishes, including sauces, desserts, sorbets and smoothies.
With so many nuts to choose between, get to know your favourites and how to throw them into sweet and savoury dishes for extra crunch, flavour and nutritional benefits.
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