Mixed Nuts II- edible variety Trivia Quiz

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.

Answer: the walnut

Why? God only knows, but it's important because your body cannot manufacture Omega-3 fats on its own. The walnut is here to help you out. Fish oil from certain fishes is a better known source, but a mere 1/4 cup of walnuts can provide 90% of the recommended daily requirement for these healthy fats. Adding Omega-3 fats to the diet has been connected through many studies to protection against heart disease and stroke, and to lowered rates of cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, depression and other diseases of inflammation.

A study done by Pennsylvania doctors found that walnuts contained twice as many antioxidants as the same amount of any other nut. Walnuts are sometimes considered "brain food," perhaps because their wrinkled appearance bears some resemblance to the surface of the brain.

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.

Answer: Jimmy Carter

Staying in the great state of Georgia, we have the All-American tale of the 39th US president, James Earl Carter. Carter rose to presidency from his humble agricultural beginnings through hard work, basic decency, and building a grassroots network of support, which first got him to the governor's mansion in Atlanta in 1971.

He served one term as president, from 1977-1981. As a teenager, his father gave him an acre of the family's farmland to manage. On this plot he planted and cultivated peanuts, which he then packaged and sold, in the process learning the rudiments of business. Carter has been an especially active and influential ex-president.

In 1982, he received the Nobel Peace Prize for the work of the Carter Center. This is a non-profit, non-governmental organization whose goal is to "advance human rights and alleviate human suffering."

Answer: Itch-inducing oil found in the shell

Cashews are in the same family as poison ivy and poison sumac, so hands off, unless you know what you're doing. Cashews can be grown anywhere in the tropics, but the main producers are Brazil and India, followed by Vietnam and some other countries in Africa and Southeast Asia. Cashew nuts do in fact come in shells, but the oil in the shell is so toxic that the nuts are best shelled by well protected human hands. Machines can do it, but not without breaking the fragile nuts into pieces.

This explains why whole cashews are so expensive. Cashews are a great source of iron, folate and vitamin K.

Answer: almonds

Almonds rank near the top of most nutritionists' "healthiest nut" list. One cup of whole almonds has 378mg of calcium, more than half of most 'recommended daily requirement' figures. In addition to their high calcium content, they are packed with vitamin E, an antioxidant which helps fight inflammations. Recent studies show that almonds consumed in the morning can help regulate blood sugar throughout the day.

The almond plant is sometimes called "the queen of the rose family" being in that grouping, and it's also closely related to peach and apricot trees.

The raw nut growing on the tree has a shell with a fuzzy outer skin like a peach.

Answer: filbert

Europe, where these nuts are widely consumed, and Catholicism can probably be held responsible for the alternate name. The feast day of France's St. Philbert is August 20th, which is the around same time filberts are harvested, so the saint became the nut! Asking for hazelnuts in France will probably get you blank stares at best.

Other historians maintain that the name comes from the German "vollbart," meaning "full beard." Supposedly, the whitish marking on the the shell is reminiscent of a bearded chin. Crack open a handful and decide for yourself, and meanwhile enjoy another excellent nut with a nutritional profile rivaling that of the almond, being especially rich in B vitamins and minerals. Turkey is the leading producer, delivering 75% of the world supply.

However, Oregon in the USA and Kent in England also produce significant commercial crops of hazelnuts/filberts.

Answer: Chlorophyll in the pistachio nuts

Although green food coloring IS added to many commercial brands of pistachio ice cream to help produce the bright green color, this is not always the case. In fact, using good quality raw pistachios with their natural green coloring does impart that color to ice cream. Because the chlorophyll molecule is relatively unstable, heat actually breaks down the chlorophyll in any plant, which explains why green leafy vegetable like spinach or broccoli lose their color when overcooked. So, to have your pistachio ice cream come out green, pick nice green pistachios and shorten the cook time. Calling the pistachio a nut is even more questionable than some other examples in this quiz.

It's really more accurately classified as a fruit.

Answer: Brazil and Bolivia

These two countries have dominated the Brazil nut market for many years for a variety of reasons. The Brazil nut tree is native to South America, specifically; Brazil, the eastern parts of Peru, Bolivia, and Colombia, and the Guianas and Venezuela. The trees grow wild in the Amazon rain forest, and they grow tall.

The northern countries of the continent produce relatively small amounts. Belize and Borneo are not players in this market. The approximate yearly production percentages for 2016 were: Bolivia--42%, Brazil--35%, Cote d'Ivoire 16%, Peru--6%. Cote d'Ivoire cultivates a non-indigenous crop in a more traditional way, but in Brazil and Bolivia, the nuts are harvested mainly in the wild, in their naturally growing environment. Bolivia in particular has made sustainable harvesting of Brazil nuts a national priority, and has coupled production with rain forest management. Tree growth areas are strictly protected from clear cutting, lumbering or farming, and local gatherers, rather than traditional plantation workers gather the nuts, increasing their investment in keeping the rain forest viable. Brazil nuts are particularly rich in selenium, a mineral shown to support prostate health. Gobbling a few Brazil nuts each day is a great idea for older men.

Answer: Because the nut falls to the ground when it is ripe and at its peak

The macadamia nut tree, native to Australia, is a moderately sized tree ranging in height from 5-12 meters. With its nice full spreading crown, there are plenty of nuts available to be easily picked, but this is not necessary as nature has timed their maturity date perfectly.

When they hit the ground, they are ripe. The trees were imported into Hawaii in the 1880s as ornamentals and to reforest depleted areas. In Australia, they are found mostly in southern Queensland and northeastern New South Wales.

The rich, buttery flavor of the macadamia nut is due to its high percentage of oil, which is also prized for use in cosmetics. The nuts also have incredibly hard shells, raising commercial production cost and making them the most expensive nut.