Walnuts nutrition facts

Walnuts are nutritious kernels obtained from the tree belonging to the Juglandaceae family, in the genus, Juglans. The nuts have been revered since ancient times as the symbol of intellectuality. Their bi-lobed kernels feature convoluted surface resembling as that of a human brain! They enriched with many health-benefiting nutrients, especially omega-3 fatty acids that are essential for optimum health.

 

Juglans species are medium sized, semi-tropical, deciduous trees believed to be originating in the mountain ranges of Central Asian or Southern Europe region.

 

There at least 30 different cultivars types of walnut grown world-over. However, only three traditional varieties grown for their commercial purposes are English or Persian walnut (Juglans regia), Black walnut (Juglans nigra), and the White or butternut walnut (Juglans cinerea). They are being cultivated at the commercial scale in the United States of America, Romania, France, Turkey, and China. After plantation, the tree takes approximately four years until it produces its first major crop.

 

During each season, walnuts can be ready for harvest by August when their thick green hull (thin-cover) begins to crack open to expose light-brown, hard-shelled “walnut” inside. It features roughly spherical shape, about the size of a small lemon, weighing about 10-15 g, and enclosing single (bi-lobed) edible kernel inside.

 

Structurally, the walnut kernel consists of two uneven, off-white color corrugated lobes; covered by a papery thin, light brown skin. The flaps loosely attached to each other at center.

 

Oil extracted from the walnut kernels employed, apart from cooking, as a base or carrier oil in medicine, and in aromatherapy.