{"id":34140,"date":"2017-04-26T09:52:00","date_gmt":"2017-04-26T13:52:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/?p=34140"},"modified":"2024-09-18T10:28:37","modified_gmt":"2024-09-18T14:28:37","slug":"nuts-about-nuts-nut-cheese-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/nuts-about-nuts-nut-cheese-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Nuts About Nuts: Your Guide to the Nutritious Snack"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A<\/span>t culture,<\/strong> we love foods that tell stories. That\u2019s what keeps us hooked on curds\u2014but cheese isn\u2019t the only fare with tales to tell. Nuts may be diminutive in stature, but trust us: These little morsels are big on drama. We\u2019ve uncovered accounts of deception (most nuts are not, in fact, nuts), intrigue (nutty cheese aromas baffle scientists), and lifelong devotion (a 92-year-old nutcracker collector shares secrets). There are stories of sickness (a blight felled American chestnut trees), strife (World War II had a role in Nutella\u2019s invention), and redemption (wild nuts are back in vogue). And the best part of these yarns? Edible protagonists. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Know Your Nuts<\/h2>\n\n\n
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From forests to fields, old-world groves to new-world plantations, caveman dwellings to your local dive bar: Nuts are found wherever hungry humans have roamed. Shielded by glowing leafy greens and sweet, ripe fruits that tempt us, nuts lurk in the background, encased in rigid, unyielding shells. But the moment our ancestors figured out how to smash two rocks together, the treasures within became diet fixtures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It makes sense: Since the nuts we eat are meant to give life to new bushes or trees, they\u2019re packed with nutrients, compounds that protect against disease, and energy\u2014often in the form of oil and heart-healthy fats. Nuts exude fragrant compounds when fresh; cooking them encourages reactions between amino acids and sugars, yielding a multitude of evolving aromas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Today we toss back the easy-to-munch morsels without giving much thought to where they come from\u2014but botany reveals some mind-bending facts. Did you know that a nut is actually a fruit? It\u2019s a specific type of fruit with a single seed that rests, unattached, inside a hard, closed shell. Think of the hazelnut: On the tree\u2019s slim branches hang dry, reddish-brown, heart-shaped pods. When cracked, the small, beige, aromatic kernels emerge. This is the seed, the edible part of the nut fruit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The plot thickens. Did you know that almonds, pecans, walnuts, and a whole range of other \u201cnuts\u201d are not actually nuts at all? Consider the almond: On the tree it\u2019s a soft, green, oval fruit belying little hint of what\u2019s inside. Peel back the fleshy exterior and you\u2019ll find a pit resembling a peach or plum core. That\u2019s because, like peaches and plums, the almond is a drupe: a fleshy fruit with a stone inside. Within that stone is the seed, what we know as the edible almond.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Complicating things further, the peanut is in an entirely different category. Unlike the pods of drupes and nuts that hang from trees, peanut pods grow underground beneath bushes. Classified as a legume, the peanut is a closer relative to beans and peas than to any of the other nuts we eat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While botany offers a narrow definition of the nut, the seeds or seed-containing fruits found in nuts, drupes, or legumes dohave much in common: They\u2019re nutrient-dense with an oily composition, an aromatic aura, and a delicious multitude of uses. That\u2019s why our guide focuses on \u201cculinary\u201d nuts, a widely accepted, broad category that includes a range of drupes and legumes\u2014because a (nut) party is more fun when everyone\u2019s invited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Get Cracking<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Noreen Guizar, cheese buyer and general manager at Fisher’s Cheese & Wine in Larkspur, Calif.\u2014formerly the Cheese School of San Francisco\u2014suggests a nut-centric cheese plate for your nibbling pleasure.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Marcel Petite Comt\u00e9 Reserve<\/strong><\/a> + ROASTED, SALTED BRAZIL NUTS<\/em>
\u201cI\u2019d always pilfer Brazil nuts from the nut bowl at our family parties\u2014I gravitated to their unique texture. Tyrosine crystals in this Marcel Petite Comt\u00e9 mimic the crunchy, almost granular nuts, while the nuts highlight the Alpine classic\u2019s brown-butter flavor.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese Mascarpone<\/strong><\/a> + BONNIE\u2019S JAMS NUTS & HONEY<\/em>
\u201cThe silky richness of my favorite mascarpone is accentuated by sweet, delicate, honey-soaked nuts. Adding fresh fruit, such as apples, contributes a pop of acidity that brightens the decadent combo. It\u2019s like a deconstructed parfait\u2014perfect for brunch.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

L\u2019Amuse Brabander<\/strong><\/a> + FISHER\u2019S CHEESE & WINE HERBES DE PROVENCE ALMONDS<\/em>
\u201cThe acidic tang of goat\u2019s milk highlights lavender in the almonds\u2019 herb mix; the creamy texture plays off the sugary crunch of the almonds. A trip to Provence sounds like a great idea right now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company Bay Blue<\/strong><\/a> + CHOCOLATE-HAZELNUT MILK<\/em>
\u201cAdd a tablespoon of chocolate syrup to a glass of fancy-hippie hazelnut milk. Take a big swig with a bite of Bay Blue and discover a combination that makes me feel like a kid again. It\u2019s chocolate milk with a grown-up twist: a blue cheese chaser.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How to Spice Nuts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

1.<\/strong> Heat oven to 300\u00b0F. Lightly grease a cookie sheet. For each pound of nuts, combine \u00bd cup granulated sugar, \u00bc cup brown sugar, 1 tablespoon salt, and 4 tablespoons of desired spice mix in a bowl (we like equal parts cayenne, cumin, and cinnamon).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. <\/strong>In a separate bowl, beat 1 egg white with 1 tablespoon water until frothy. Add nuts and stir to coat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3.<\/strong> Sprinkle nuts with sugar and spice mixture; toss until well coated. Spread nuts onto cookie sheet in a single layer. Bake 30 to 45 minutes or until golden brown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Why Do We Sense Nutty Flavors in Cheese?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
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Aromas we detect while sniffing or chewing result from an infinitely varying mix of chemical compounds. Specifically these are \u201cvolatile\u201d compounds: substances that can vaporize and float through the air to reach olfactory receptors in our nasal cavities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In cheese, volatile aroma compounds result from enzymes that break down milk\u2019s basic components\u2014fat, protein, and carbohydrates. While an aged wheel might contain hundreds of these compounds, none are unique to cheese; they\u2019re found elsewhere in nature, too. That\u2019s why there\u2019s not a true \u201ccheese\u201d smell\u2014and why curds so often yield scents that remind us of other foods, such as fruit, meat, or nuts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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When we look for the source of cheese\u2019s \u201cnutty\u201d flavors, we\u2019re really seeking specific chemicals, or combinations of chemicals, that remind us of nuts.<\/h3>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s exactly what researchers at North Carolina State University did in a groundbreaking 2004 experiment. First pro tasters distinguished between aged cheddars with and without nutty aromas. Then the team isolated volatile aroma compounds from those cheeses. Nutty<\/a> and non-nutty cheeses displayed an important difference: Nutty varieties had higher concentrations of compounds known as Strecker aldehydes. Curious, the scientists added extra Strecker aldehydes to cheddars\u2014and tasters perceived those cheeses as even nuttier. Connecting the sensory perception of nutty flavors to the presence of precise chemical compounds was a major step forward in flavor science\u2014but Strecker aldehydes are likely just one nutty culprit among many.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\u201cDefining the cause of nutty flavor in cheese has been difficult,\u201d says John Lucey, director of the Center for Dairy Research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. \u201cThere are more questions than answers. For other cheeses there are likely other causes\u2014organic acids and a very wide range of chemical compounds.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just as there\u2019s no single \u201ccheese\u201d aroma, there\u2019s no one \u201cnut\u201d aroma, either.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s why the nut industry has also examined ways to characterize flavor. In 2006 the Almond Board of California worked with professional tasters to release a lexicon<\/a> that included a list of 36 aromas commonly detected in almonds. Since nuts (like cheeses) are packed with flavor compounds, and dozens of almond strains grow in California alone, the reference helps researchers, producers, and retailers communicate when comparing varieties and cooking methods. Similar guides developed for peanuts and cashews display the incredible variety of aromas that are found in nuts, from cod liver oil to fried chicken to\u2014yes\u2014cheese, proving just how dizzying flavor science<\/a> can be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Q&A: Miyoko Schinner<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The founder of Miyoko\u2019s Kitchen\u2014a company that makes vegan cheeses from organic cashew milk in Fairfax, Calif.\u2014dishes on the new nut cheese niche.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Why use cashews in vegan cheese?<\/strong>
We do apply somewhat traditional cheesemaking techniques to our products. We use lactic acid fermentation to drop pH [levels] and develop flavor profile, and we age some of the cheeses. Nuts respond really well because they are high in fat and have some protein. Cashews are the cow\u2019s milk equivalent in the nut world\u2014a very neutral flavor profile. You can do a lot of stuff on top of that. You can create different textures depending on what cultures you use, whether you age it or not, whether you heat it or not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why is your product labeled \u201ccultured nut product\u201d and not \u201cvegan cheese\u201d?<\/strong>
The FDA defines cheese as the lacteal secretions of one or more cows…and the dairy industry has come down hard on \u201cplant-based imitators,\u201d as they call them, causing plant-based cheeses and alternative companies to stop calling products \u201cmilk\u201d or \u201ccheese.\u201d We played around with it and decided on \u201ccultured nut product.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How do you define cheese?<\/strong>
The world is changing, and I believe that cheese is really about fermentation. It\u2019s about transforming some sort of milk-like substance into a solid and dropping the pH. At one time it was only done with milk, but now we can do it with plant-based proteins. So why not?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interested in nut cheese? Review our tasting notes<\/a> on Miyoko\u2019s Kitchen cheeses.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How to Make Nut Milk<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

1.<\/strong> Place raw, unseasoned nuts (almonds, macadamias, cashews, peanuts, pecans, hazelnuts, or a mix) in a bowl and fill with water. Let soak at least 12 hours or overnight at room temperature. Drain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2.<\/strong> Add 1 part soaked nuts and 4 parts hot (not boiling) water to a blender. (Flavorings are optional: Add a pinch of salt and\/or a teaspoon of a sweetener per cup of nuts to start\u2014honey, maple, or agave\u2014adding more after blending to taste.) Blend on high at least 2 minutes or until smooth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. <\/strong>Strain milk through a cheesecloth or nut milk bag (available online). Discard pulp. Refrigerate milk and consume within 5 days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Putting Nature’s Bounty to Work<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Clark Barlowe owns Heirloom Restaurant in Charlotte, N.C., famous for its wild-nut foraging program. Here\u2019s how the chef uses his finds:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

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