Pine Nut

In Middle-Eastern cooking, pine nuts – the kernels of the Mediterranean stone pine – are used a great deal and often in large amounts. This is all very well in places like Turkey, where pine nuts grow abundantly and are cheap, but a more restrained hand is called for here, where they are very expensive. Don’t be tempted to buy them in bulk to save money, however, since when exposed to the air they rapidly go stale and acquire an unpleasant chemical taste. Store them in the freezer in zip-lock bags. Pine nuts, or pine kernels as they are sometimes known, are essential in a number of classic Mediterranean dishes, notably that linchpin of Italian cuisine, pesto sauce.