Pine Nuts

Pound for pound, pine nuts, also known as pignolis, are just about the most expensive nuts you can buy. These pale, tear-shaped nuts are best known to most cooks as the nutty component in pesto, but they are widely appreciated in the Middle East, too. They have been used in cooking (and as a symbol of affluence) since ancient times. Found nestled inside the cones produced by certain pine trees around the world, these oily little nuggets are not cultivated commercially in the United States because the trees take years to reach a productive stage, and harvesting is extremely labor intensive. Most of the world’s commercial crop comes from Spain, Italy, or the Middle East. A similar nut from China is also marketed as pignolis and can be used interchangeably with them, although their flavor is not as delicate and refined.