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270 Nuts Trivia Questions, Answers, and Fun Facts

How much do you know about Nuts? This category is for trivia questions and answers related to Nuts (Hobbies). Each one is filled with fun facts and interesting information.
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1 Which state, that is the second largest American state and home to the Alamo, has the pecan as both its state tree and the state nut?
Answer: Texas

The pecan is commonly associated with the U.S. South and many southern states have the pecan as their official nut or pecan pie as their official pie. Pecans are very common sight throughout Texas as the nut is grown in all of the state's 254 counties.

Question by MiraJane
    Your options: [ Alaska ] [ Wyoming ] [ New Mexico ] [ Texas ]
  From Quiz: Nutbush City Limits
2 From which type of tree do pecans come?
Answer: Hickory

The pecan tree is the largest species of the genus hickory. Hickories are native to the southern United States and Northern Mexico. Juglans are deciduous walnut trees and the Brazil nut comes from the Bertholletia Excelsa tree.
    Your options: [ Oak ] [ Bertholletia Excelsa ] [ Juglan ] [ Hickory ]
  From Quiz: A Pecan Potpourri
3 Which "nut" is the odd "nut" out?
Answer: peanut

A simple question gets you started, although getting into the definition of "nut" can drive you nuts. A true nut, botanically speaking, is "a hard shelled pod that contains both the fruit and the seed of the plant where the fruit does not split open at maturity to release the seed." As many are aware, the peanut is a legume, more closely related to peas and beans than to tree nuts. It also grows in the ground. There is a scientific distinction between the few true, botanically classified nuts, and the many varieties of seeds, drupes and other plant-generated fruits commonly named as nuts. The latter category includes the aforementioned peanuts as well as pistachios, cashews, almonds, and coconuts (technically seeds of drupe fruits). The unscientific but eminently practical term "culinary nuts" is now in vogue to reflect the reality of what most people understand as nuts, and that's what this quiz is all about.
    Your options: [ chestnut ] [ peanut ] [ hazelnut ] [ beechnut ]
  From Quiz: Mixed Nuts II- edible variety
4 Pecans, like many other nuts are considered to be heart healthy when eaten in moderation. Most nutritional charts list values per 100 grams, or 1-1/4 cup of pecans. How many grams of fat and protein does 100 grams of pecans contain?
Answer: fat: 72g, protein: 9g

In pecans, over half of the fat content is monounsaturated fatty acids. The 100 gram measurement is about 691 calories.

Pecans can help reduce "bad cholesterol" when eaten regularly, and contain vitamins and minerals needed to promote a healthy lifestyle. The American Heart Association recommends a serving of about 1.5 ounces of whole nuts.

Alas, many of us consume pecans as part of a dessert such as pecan pie (my, my, pecan pie!) or pralines.
  From Quiz: Is it 'More Than Pecan' or 'Icon Pecan'?
5 Walnuts are the oldest tree food known to man, dating back around 10,000 years. Which civilisation called walnuts "Juglans Regia", meaning "Jupiter's Royal"?
Answer: Roman

Juglans Regia is now the name of one of the most common species of walnut tree. It grows around the world, including in such diverse countries as the United States, Kazakhstan and China. However, it grows best in rich, deep soil with climates of plentiful sun and long summers.
    Your options: [ Mesopotamia ] [ Ancient Greek ] [ Roman ] [ Aztec ]
  From Quiz: Nuts about Walnuts
6 "You're a nut!" Mike yells. If he needs vitamin E in order for his body to get antioxidants, and also wants to get high amounts of copper, then what is the nut he's most likely screaming at?
Answer: Hazelnut

That's right, Mike was yelling at a hazelnut. He tends to do that sometimes. Hazelnuts have a great concentration of copper, which helps disarm free radicals that could damage fats and cholesterol in the body.

Besides, hazelnuts are a very rich source of monounsaturates and Vitamins E and B, which helps in having healthy skin and hair.
  From Quiz: You're a Nut!
7 Macadamia nuts are being harvested on a large scale in all these regions except which one?
Answer: Macedonia

In 1928 the first European discovered the plant in Australia 1828 and it is native only to that region of the world. There are no macadamia plantations in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
    Your options: [ Australia ] [ Macedonia ] [ South Africa ] [ Hawaii ]
  From Quiz: Macadamia Nuts, the Queen of Nuts
8 Which type of nut has a bitter variety which contains cyanide when raw?
Answer: Almond

Although Bitter Almond Oil is used in homeopathic remedies it is not considered safe by most drug administration bodies, even though the cyanide should be extracted before the oil is used.
    Your options: [ Pecan ] [ Almond ] [ Cashew ] [ Walnut ]
  From Quiz: Where'd That Squirrel Come From?
9 Macadamia nuts are the pride of Hawaii, however their origin is actually in Australia. However, it was found that the trees thrived in Hawaii as well. What or who is the Macadamia nut named after?
Answer: An Australian named John MacAdam

Baron Ferdinand von Mueller of the Royal Botanical Gardens of Australia named it after his friend John MacAdam. Unfortunately, Mr MacAdam died on his voyage to taste the nut named after him. Australia and Hawaii are the two leading producers of macadamia nuts in the world today.
  From Quiz: What Kind of "Nut" Are You?
10 In Chico, CA the number one agricultural product is the almond. What type of plant do almonds grow on?
Answer: Tree

Almonds grow on trees which have beautiful white and pink flowers in the spring. When the flowers drop their petals it looks like snow.
  From Quiz: Almonds
11 In this popular US peanut butter slogan, which brand did choosy moms choose?
Answer: Jif

According to the Jif Website, Jif comes in Creamy, Extra Crunchy, Reduced Fat, Reduced Fat Crunchy, Simply Jif (low sodium and less sugar than regular), and Smooth Sensations (jelly and chocolate combinations).
  From Quiz: Peanut Butter
12 How many products did American scientist and inventor George Washington Carver develop from the peanut?
Answer: 145

George Washington Carver was born near Diamond, Missouri, around 1864, to slave parents. He researched over 300 uses for this versatile nut.
  From Quiz: You Are Driving Me Nuts!
13 Which product made from walnuts was once used by Leonardo da Vinci and was used to stain the hands of criminals in certain communities?
Answer: Ink

Walnut ink made from black walnuts was a common way to mark criminals in some societies, most notably amongst the Romani people. The ink would be splashed on a criminal's hand and this ink is nearly impossible to wash off and is very noticeable. Leonardo da Vinci wrote and drew with walnut ink and he is sometimes credited with inventing it. He also occasionally painted with walnut paint.
    Your options: [ Milk ] [ Blood ] [ Fibers ] [ Ink ]
  From Quiz: Nutbush City Limits
14 The first peanut butter patent was granted to a Canadian in 1884. What was the name of the inventor?
Answer: Marcellus Gilmore Edson

While there is a lot of debate over who invented peanut butter, the first patent ever issued was to Canadian Marcellus Gilmore Edson. He developed a method of grinding roasted peanuts between two heated boards until they resembled a paste. Because the consistency was similar to lard or butter, he called it peanut butter.

Contrary to popular belief, George Washington Carver was not the inventor of peanut butter. According to the National Peanut Board, while Carver invented over 300 uses for peanuts he did not invent the tasty treat.

This question was ground up by Phoenix Rising's leith90 who is quite partial to roasted peanuts.
  From Quiz: Zooming in on Peanut Butter
15 Which country is the second largest producer of pecans?
Answer: Mexico

The U.S. produces over 250 million pounds of pecans annually. Most of those come from Georgia, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona, which collectively produce over three-fourths of the nation's pecans. Mexico is the second largest producers of pecans in the world. The states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Sonora, Nuevo Leon, and Durango account for most of Mexico's pecan production.
    Your options: [ The United States ] [ Canada ] [ Brazil ] [ Mexico ]
  From Quiz: A Pecan Potpourri
16 The USA remained the world's largest exporter of walnuts in 2012, but in which state were 99 per cent of the nation's walnuts grown?
Answer: California

The Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys in California were the most prolific producers of walnuts in the USA in 2012. This is probably because they provide the mild but moderately warm climate that walnuts need, as well as fertile soils aided by the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.
    Your options: [ Kentucky ] [ Maine ] [ California ] [ Florida ]
  From Quiz: Nuts about Walnuts
17 Hi there! I'm classified as the only low fat nut and the only nut that contains vitamin C. Be humble... don't beat your chest if you know who I am.
Answer: chestnut

Chestnuts are nuts that are full of flavour. They are starchy and sweet. These nuts are produced by trees that are native to temperate areas in the northern hemisphere. Most of the calories in chestnuts are from carbohydrates rather than fats. Chestnuts may be eaten fresh. They can also be roasted or prepared in a variety of other ways. Did you know that chestnuts can be dried and milled into flour which can be used to make bread? Quite a treat I should think.
    Your options: [ walnut ] [ pistachio ] [ acorn ] [ chestnut ]
  From Quiz: Just a Minute...Are You Nuts?
18 Considered by many as a precursor to the modern baklava, güllac is a Turkish desert made from what nut?
Answer: Walnut

Güllac is a sweet treat made from milk, sugar, pomegranate seeds, phyllo dough and walnuts. Similar to the popular desert baklava, güllac is made by soaking thin strips of phyllo dough into a warm milk sugar solution infused with the pomegranate seeds. Walnuts are crushed and chopped and are placed between the layers of the dough. Evidence suggests that the Turks and other Indo-Asian cultures have made güllac since the early 14th century. In Turkey, güllac is often served during the Muslim Ramadan period.
  From Quiz: Has the Whole World Gone Nuts?
19 The English county of Kent has a type of hazelnut, which it is closely associated with, what is that nut called?
Answer: Kentish Cobnut

The Kent (or Kentish) Cobnut is a species of hazelnut cultivated in Kent. Hazelnuts were a popular food source, even being found in prehistoric sites.
Cobnuts are distinguishable for hazelnuts, being slightly more elongated.
Hazelnuts are also known as filberts.
    Your options: [ Kentish Willownut ] [ Kentish Filbert ] [ Kentish Hazelnut ] [ Kentish Cobnut ]
  From Quiz: Here We Go Gathering Nuts
20 Which type of edible nut is produced by the Junglans tree?
Answer: Walnut

The term "walnut" derives from the Old English 'wealhhnutu' meaning 'foreign nut', so called because it originally came to England in Roman times from France and Italy. The deciduous Junglan trees can be found across the Temperate range from southern Europe to Japan and from Canada through California to Argentina.
    Your options: [ Walnut ] [ Chestnut ] [ Hazel Nut ] [ Pistachio ]
  From Quiz: "Your Nuts, M'Lord" or "You're Nuts, M'Lord"
21 "You're a nut!" Now Mike is yelling at one of the richest sources of selenium in the World. Which nut, native of Latin America, is he yelling at?
Answer: Brazil nut

Deficiency of selenium can lead to weak muscles and fatigue. Selenium can also help heal burned skin and improve the immune system.

Brazil nuts are the best source of this element, as only one of them is able to provide more than the daily recommended value of selenium. They also contain magnesium and polyunsaturated fatty acids, both of which are good for the human body.
    Your options: [ Brazil nut ] [ Panama nut ] [ Argentina nut ] [ Costa Rica nut ]
  From Quiz: You're a Nut!
22 Which nut, popular in Asian cooking, was originally native to Brazil before being spread worldwide by the Portuguese?
Answer: Cashew

Initially the Portuguese planted cashews in various parts of Africa and then sold the nuts in India. As they became more popular on the Asian continent they started to grow them there.
    Your options: [ Macadamia ] [ Cashew ] [ Pecan ] [ Filbert ]
  From Quiz: Where'd That Squirrel Come From?
23 "Spread the fun!" is the slogan for what peanut butter maker?
Answer: Skippy

The Skippy website states that the name "Skippy" as a trademark was first used in 1932 by the Rosefield Packing Co., Ltd. in Alameda, CA.
  From Quiz: Peanut Butter
24 What nut is the fruit of an evergreen tree, that is found on the banks of the Amazon and Orinoco Rivers?
Answer: Brazil

The trees grow up to 135 feet and the nuts which grow in clumps are a valuable source of natural oils.
  From Quiz: You Are Driving Me Nuts!
25 Who first recorded "The Christmas Song" which features the immortal line "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire"?
Answer: Nat King Cole

Written as "The Christmas Song", this is more commonly known as "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire". The first recording was by the Nat King Cole trio in 1946. It has been widely covered since.

Chestnuts are brown nuts that grow in a spiky shell on trees in forests and parks. Not all chestnuts are good to eat, some are harmful. Most people buy the good kind from a shop. There are different ways of roasting them. One of the best is to wrap them in foil and put them in a medium hot fire for 15 minutes.

If you do not have an open fire, you can cook them in an oven, but be sure to pierce them with a small hole first or they could explode.
    Your options: [ Bing Crosby ] [ Elvis Presley ] [ Natalie Cole ] [ Nat King Cole ]
  From Quiz: Nutbush City Limits
26 The first peanut butter patent granted to an American was in 1895. What was the main difference between the Canadian and American methods of creating the tasty treat?
Answer: Method - US used boiled peanuts

Dr John Harvey Kellogg of cereal fame was the first American to gain a patent for peanut butter, although his method was different to Edson. Where Edson used roasted peanuts, Kellogg used boiled, steamed or raw peanuts. He produced his peanut butter as a way of providing protein to people who couldn't chew.

In 1903 Ambrose Straub of Missouri was granted a patent for a mill which could produce peanut butter.

The problem with early forms of peanut butter was that the oil would separate out, but in the 1920s, Joseph Rosefield refined the process (called hydrogenation) which stopped this. He also founded the Skippy brand peanut butter. Later he changed the process from grinding to churning, which produced a smoother, creamier butter. He is also credited with being the first person to add crushed nuts to his butter, creating the first crunchy (chunky) peanut butter.

This question was churned out by Phoenix Rising's leith90, who is eternally grateful for the invention of crunchy peanut butter.
  From Quiz: Zooming in on Peanut Butter
27 What American confection is a soft, creamy combination of syrup and pecans that resembles fudge?
Answer: Pralines

This describes the American style of pralines, which are sometimes made with almond or hazelnut instead of pecans. Belgian pralines have a chocolate shell with a soft filling, while French pralines are firmer and combine caramelized sugar with almonds.
  From Quiz: A Pecan Potpourri
28 What city is the "pecan capital of the world"?
Answer: Albany, Georgia

Pecan trees are native to North America, and the USA produces over 80% of the world's crop. Albany has more than 500,000 individual pecan trees! The word "pecan" is originally derived from a native American meaning of "hard to crack without a stone." Pecan trees produce nuts only every other year, but it's worth the wait. The nut is heart healthy and contains at least 19 vitamins and minerals, including a generous allotment of zinc, good for producing necessary testosterone. The handle of the torch used by Muhammad Ali to light the flame at the 1996 Olympiad in Atlanta was made out of Georgia pecan wood.
  From Quiz: Mixed Nuts II- edible variety
29 What is the most common major species of walnuts grown as food?
Answer: Persian (or English) Walnut

The Persian walnut (also known as the English walnut) originated in Persia (now Iran) many hundreds of years ago. The second most common species, the black walnut, is more recent and is native to North America. However, it has a very hard shell and so is less popular as food and more popular for its other by-products, such as oil and root stock for breeding.
  From Quiz: Nuts about Walnuts
30 What is the less common term for the hazelnut?
Answer: Filbert

Hazelnuts are easily recognisible by their warm brown color and one lighter circular rough spot opposite the slightly tapering end. They are no larger than almonds, and tend to be rounded and smooth shelled. Hazelnut has become a popular flavoring for coffee and pastries as it has a mild buttery flavor.
  From Quiz: "Sometimes You Feel Like a Nut"
31 Also called the Queensland Nut, what tree nut, used in cookies, candies and oils, is closely associated with the Hawaiian Islands?
Answer: Macadamia

Macadamia trees are native to Australia and come in many different varieties. Macadamia's were named for the Australian (Scotland born) chemist John Macadam by Ferdinand Mueller then a leading Australian botanist. Macadamias were transported and planted in Hawaii in the 1880s and became an important export crop by the early 20th century. Macadamia nuts are higher in fat and lower in protein than most other nuts. Moreso, the fat content in the macadamia has the highest percentage of monounsaturated fat of any edible seed. Studies have confirmed that macadamia nuts help lower the "bad" LDL cholesterol levels. While that may be true, it hardly feels like a health food when I eat a tin of white chocolate and macadamia nut cookies.
  From Quiz: Has the Whole World Gone Nuts?
32 The nuts of a beech tree are edible but taste rather bitter because of the high concentration of which biomolecule?
Answer: Tannin

Tannin is a naturally-occurring astringent, and it is this that gives the beech nut its bitter taste (and even more so in acorns). Not that the human diet does not enjoy tannin (although in rather smaller doses) -- both tea and wine contain tannin, and coffee to a much smaller degree.
    Your options: [ Tannin ] [ Caffeine ] [ Retinol ] [ Gelatin ]
  From Quiz: "Your Nuts, M'Lord" or "You're Nuts, M'Lord"
33 "You're a nut!" Mike started yelling as he was bedazzled by what he just found out. It turns out that the nut he found has more iron per weight than rump steak! Which nut was he screaming at?
Answer: Cashew nut

Cashew nuts contain more iron per gram than lean rump steak, and provide lots of potassium and zinc. Here's some piece of advice from Mike: eat them while drinking orange juice. It will improve their absorption.

They are composed mainly of fat, but don't worry, as most of it is the good kind of fat! It is oleic acid, which has major benefits including prevention against heart diseases and cancer.
    Your options: [ Cashew nut ] [ Coconut ] [ Chestnut ] [ Macadamia nut ]
  From Quiz: You're a Nut!
34 What country consumes the most pistachios per year?
Answer: China

China consumes about 80,000 tons of pistachios a year. The U.S. consumes about 45,000 tons per year.
  From Quiz: Delicious Pistachios
35 The macadamia nut was named after:
Answer: John Macadam of the Philosophical Institute of Australia

The German botanist Ferdinand von Mueller named the plant after his friend John Macadam.
    Your options: [ Macy van Damm of the European discoverer's ship crew ] [ John Macadam of the Philosophical Institute of Australia ] [ Adam Mcafee, a boy first found eating the nut without ill effect ] [ Makadamlung, the aboriginal name ]
  From Quiz: Macadamia Nuts, the Queen of Nuts
36 What type of roasted nut is traditionally served hot in the winter time?
Answer: Chestnut

Roasted chestnuts immediately conjure up images of street vendors in winter time selling from braziers, as much to warm the hands as to eat. They can also be candied and are often used as a stuffing for poultry.
  From Quiz: Where'd That Squirrel Come From?
37 Indeed, nuts can become a grave topic. Nuts may even be hazardous to your health! For instance, do you know which nut(s) one should warn those with serious poison oak allergy against?
Answer: Both

Since mangoes, pistachios, and cashews are all in the same family as poison oak, it really does have me wondering what those poison oak berries taste like. But any temptation to taste them is tempered by the knowledge that humans eating poison oak berries may have severe or even fatal reactions.
    Your options: [ Both ] [ Pistachios ] [ Cashews ] [ Neither ]
  From Quiz: Totally Nuts
38 Who invented peanut butter?
Answer: An unknown St. Louis physician

Although Dr. George Washington Carver is credited with inventing many uses for the peanut, his research did not begin until 1903. Peanut butter was invented in 1890 by the unknown physician, who encouraged the owner of a food products company to develop peanut butter as a protein substitute for people with poor teeth that couldn't chew meat. (Taken from the Skippy, Peanut Butter Lovers Fan Club and Jif websites).
  From Quiz: Peanut Butter
39 Which famous nut liqueur was invented in Saronno, Italy?
Answer: Amaretto

Amaretto is most commonly made from almonds or almond products but can also be made with peaches and other stone fruits. According to legend, amaretto was first made by a woman who served as the model for the Virgin Mary in a fresco painted by Bernardino Luini.
    Your options: [ Grappa ] [ Mezcal ] [ Cognac ] [ Amaretto ]
  From Quiz: Nutbush City Limits
40 "Pecan" is borrowed from the French word "pacane", but from whom did the French get the word?
Answer: The Native Americans

The French word is believed by etymologists to have been derived from one of the Native American languages, though there is some argument as to which. The Illinois and Algonquin both had the word "pakani", which is similar to the Cree word "pakan", meaning "hard nut".
  From Quiz: A Pecan Potpourri
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