Small, soft nuts that can be eaten raw or roasted and salted like peanuts. They can be chopped finely and used in soups and sauces. They are probably best known for their use in the famous Italian sauce ‘pesto’ in which they are pounded in a pestle and mortar with fresh basil leaves. They are also delicious when added to rice and aubergine/eggplant dishes. When fresh, pine nuts may smell quite strongly of turpentine, which is a product of some pine trees. This smell fades during storage. Pine nuts are usually only sold shelled.