Pine Nuts

Pine nuts (also called pignolia nuts or by their Spanish name, piñons) are the seeds obtained from the cones of certain pine trees such as the European stone pine and the pinon pine of the southwestern United States and Mexico.

The soft edible kernel is white, oval, and very small with a sweet aroma. Much appreciated in the Mediterranean and the Middle East, pine nuts are often added to stuffings for poultry and vine leaves, and to meat, game and vegetable stews and soups, as well as to desserts. They are the foundation of Italian pesto sauce and may be sprinkled on custard-filled tarts and pastries and included in salads.