NUTTY FACTS (continued): • The macadamia nut tells the farmer when it’s ready for harvest by falling to the ground. With origins in Australia, this nut was not discovered until around 1857 and not cultivated until the 1930s. It was named in honor of an Australian chemist, medical teacher, and politician John Macadam. The seeds were introduced to Hawaii in 1882 as a windbreak for sugar cane fields. Dog owners should be aware that macadamias are toxic to dogs, and can produce weakness, hind leg paralysis, muscle tremors, and severe abdominal pain. • The almond has its origins in the Mediterranean countries. It’s considered a very healthy nut (although it’s really a drupe!), with more calcium than any other nut. It also contains an antioxidant that helps fight inflammation and may keep cancer and cognitive decline at bay. Almonds are the lowest-calorie nuts – 23 nuts contain 160 calories. There are 110,000 acres of almond trees in California, the almond capital of America. • Filberts are also known as hazelnuts or cobnuts, and are the main ingredient in the confection praline. Filberts are used to make Nutella, a sweet hazelnut
chocolate spread, and Frangelico, an Italian liqueur. As with many other nuts, filberts are rich in thiamine and B vitamins. Most of the world’s supply is grown in Turkey (75%), but Iran, Spain, the U.S. states of Oregon and Washington, and British Columbia, Canada, also contribute to the production. • The black walnut tree, a member of the hickory family, secretes a poisonous substance called juglone into the soil. Apples, tomatoes, and white birch should not be planted near a black walnut tree, as juglone deprives the plants of energy for their metabolic activity.
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