Pinolo

The pine nut or kernel is the seed of the pine tree. It is held in the familiar pine cone, made up of a series of wooden tongues. The creamy-white kernel is about 1 cm (½ inch) long and slightly pointed at one end. The seed can only be gathered from the cones of mature trees at least 70 years of age, which is why the nut is not cultivated on a large scale. The trees themselves are part of the Ombrella family and are typical of the landscape of the coastal regions of Tuscany, Campania and Sicily. The kernel can only be harvested if the cone is completely open when it is collected, although a short spell in a hot oven will encourage it to open to release the seeds.