Feature: Nuts

Feature: Nuts

When we think of nuts, they basically refer to edible fruits or seeds enclosed in a hard shell that grow on trees.
Nuts in the narrow sense refer specifically to "true nuts."
In a broader sense, nuts include large seeds from herbaceous plants, legumes, and even dried fruits—such as sunflower seeds, soybeans, and peanuts. Among them, sunflower seeds are achene fruits, and peanuts are legume fruits.

Nuts in the Narrow Sense
Nuts in the narrow sense are categorized as "tree nuts," excluding legumes (except peanuts) and cereals. They are edible nuts with hard shells, and small fruits like sesame seeds are not included.

The Three Major Nuts
The three representative nuts in the narrow sense are: almonds, cashew nuts, and hazelnuts, commonly known as the “three major nuts.”

Nuts in the Narrow Sense (Tree Nuts)
Almonds
Cashew nuts
Japanese nutmeg-yew (Torreya nucifera)
Ginkgo nuts
Chestnuts
Walnuts – “the world’s oldest nut”
Coconuts
Castanopsis (chinquapin)
Horse chestnuts
Lotus seeds
Pecans – effective for colds
Water caltrops
Pistachios – known as “the queen of nuts”
Brazil nuts – anti-aging
Hazelnuts
Macadamia nuts – known as “the king of nuts”
Pine nuts (five-needle pine) – for pollen allergy relief

Nuts in the Narrow Sense – Seeds of Herbaceous Plants
Pumpkin seeds – for boosting immunity
Watermelon seeds
Peanuts – for dementia prevention
Sunflower seeds – for dieting

Not Considered Nuts in the Narrow Sense – Herb Seeds
Too small to be considered nuts.
Hemp (Cannabis sativa)
Flaxseed (Linum usitatissimum)
Perilla
Poppy seeds
Sesame
Chia seeds

Nuts in the Broad Sense (Legumes, Other Herb Seeds, and Dried Fruits)
Peas (Pisum sativum) – salted peas, green peas
Broad beans – fried broad beans, “ikari beans” (broad beans and scarlet runner beans)
Giant corn – junk food
Soybeans – roasted soybeans, roasted black soybeans, dried natto
Chickpeas
Dates
Jujubes
Peanuts

Not Considered Nuts in the Broad Sense (Herb Seeds)
Goji berries – fruit of plants in the nightshade family