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{{Short description|Edible seeds of certain species of pines}}
{{redirect|Pignoli|the Italian cookie|Pignoli (cookie)}}
{{other uses of|pine nuts|Araucaria nuts}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{refimprove|date=September 2025}}

{{multiple image
 | direction = vertical
 | image1 = Pinoli.jpg
 | caption1 = Shelled [[Pinus pinea|European pine]] (''Pinus pinea'') nuts
 | alt1 = Shelled [[Pinus pinea|European pine]] nuts
 | image2 = Jat (pine nut) (Pinus koraiensis).jpg
 | caption2 = Shelled [[Korean pine]] (''Pinus koraiensis'') nuts
 | alt2 = Shelled [[Korean pine]] (''Pinus koraiensis'') nuts
}}
'''Pine nuts''', also called '''piñón''' ({{IPA|es|piˈɲon|lang}}), '''pinoli''' ({{IPA|it|piˈnɔːli|lang}}), or '''pignoli''', are the edible seeds of [[pine]]s (family [[Pinaceae]], genus ''Pinus''). According to the [[Food and Agriculture Organization]], only 29 species provide edible nuts, while 20 are traded locally or internationally<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last1=Awan|first1=Hafiz Umair Masood|last2=Pettenella|first2=Davide|title=Pine Nuts: A Review of Recent Sanitary Conditions and Market Development|journal=[[Forests (journal)|Forests]]|year=2017|language=en|volume=8|issue=10|pages=367|doi=10.3390/f8100367|hdl=10138/228885|hdl-access=free|doi-access=free|bibcode=2017Fore....8..367A }}</ref> owing to their seed size being large enough to be worth harvesting; in other pines, the seeds are also edible but are too small to be of notable value as human food.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=farjon>{{cite book |author=Farjon, A |title=Pines. Drawings and descriptions of the genus ''Pinus'' |publisher=[[Koninklijke Brill]]|year=2005 |isbn=978-90-04-13916-9 }}{{Page needed|date=July 2011}}</ref><ref name=lanner1>{{cite book |author=Lanner, RM |title=The Piñon Pine. A Natural and Cultural History |publisher=[[University of Nevada Press]] |year=1981 |isbn=978-0-87417-066-5 }}{{Page needed|date=July 2011}}</ref><ref name=lanner2>{{cite book |author=Lanner, RM |title=Made for Each Other. A Symbiosys of Birds and Pines |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] (OUP) |year=1981 |isbn=978-0-19-508903-5 }}{{Page needed|date=July 2011}}</ref> The biggest exporters of pine nuts are [[China]], [[Russia]], [[North Korea]], [[Pakistan]] and [[Afghanistan]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-10-23 |title=Why are pine nuts so expensive? 4 reasons a small bag costs so much |url=https://www.today.com/tmrw/understanding-why-pine-nuts-are-so-expensive-t195477 |access-date=2024-04-18 |website=TODAY.com |language=en}}</ref>

As pines are [[gymnosperm]]s, not [[angiosperm]]s (flowering plants), pine nuts are not "[[true nut]]s"; they are not botanical [[fruit]]s, the seed not being enclosed in an [[Plant ovary|ovary]] which develops into the fruit, but simply bare seeds—"gymnosperm" meaning literally "naked seed" (from {{langx|grc|[[wikt:γυμνός#Ancient Greek|γυμνός]]|translit=gymnos|lit=naked}} and {{langx|grc|[[wikt:σπέρμα#Ancient Greek|σπέρμα]]|translit=sperma|lit=seed|label=none}}). The similarity of pine nuts to some angiosperm fruits is an example of [[convergent evolution]].

==Species and geographic spread==

[[File:StonePine.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Stone pine]] – note two nuts under each cone scale|alt=[[Stone pine]] [[Conifer cone|cone]] with nuts – note two nuts under each cone scale]]

In Asia, two species, in particular, are widely harvested: [[Korean pine]] (''Pinus koraiensis'') in northeast Asia (the most important species in international trade) and [[chilgoza pine]] (''P. gerardiana'') in the western [[Himalaya]]. Four other species, [[Siberian pine]] (''P. sibirica''), [[Siberian dwarf pine]] (''P. pumila''), [[Chinese white pine]] (''P. armandii'') and [[lacebark pine]] (''P. bungeana''), are also used to a lesser extent. [[Russia]] is the largest producer of ''P.&nbsp;sibirica'' nuts in the world,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.rferl.org/a/30256275.html |title=Pine Nut Fever Breaks Out In Russia's Altai Mountains |work=[[Radio Free Europe]]/[[Radio Liberty]] |date=November 12, 2019 |access-date=2023-01-03}}</ref> followed by either [[Mongolia]] or [[Afghanistan]]. They each produce over {{convert|10,000|MT}} annually, most of it exported to [[China]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://bakhtarnews.af/en/pine-nuts-export-hike-increase-in-world-market/ |title=Pine Nuts Export Hike Increase in World Market |work=Bakhtar News Agency |date=November 6, 2022 |access-date=2023-01-03}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://tolonews.com/business-181466 |title=Afghanistan Exports At Least 5,000 Tons of Pine Nuts |work=TOLOnews |date=4 January 2023 |access-date=2023-01-04}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://pajhwok.com/2023/01/03/china-largest-importer-of-afghan-pine-nuts-moci/ |title=China largest importer of Afghan pine nuts: MoCI |work=[[Pajhwok Afghan News]] |date=3 January 2023 |access-date=2023-01-03}}</ref>

Pine nuts produced in Europe mostly come from the [[stone pine]] (''P. pinea''), which has been cultivated for its nuts for over 5,000 years. Pine nuts have been harvested from wild trees for far longer. The [[Swiss pine]] (''P. cembra'') is also used, to a very small extent.

In North America, the main species are three of the [[pinyon pine]]s: [[Colorado pinyon]] (''P. edulis''), [[single-leaf pinyon]] (''P. monophylla''), and [[Mexican pinyon]] (''P. cembroides''). The other eight pinyon species are used to a small extent, as is [[gray pine]] (''P. sabineana''), [[Coulter pine]] (''P. coulteri''), [[Torrey pine]] (''P. torreyana''), [[sugar pine]] (''P. lambertiana'') and [[Parry pinyon]] (''P. quadrifolia''). Here, the nuts themselves are known by the Spanish name for the pinyon pine, ''piñón'' (plural: ''piñones'').

In the United States, pine nuts are mainly harvested by [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Native American]] and Hispano communities, particularly in the [[Western United States]] and [[Southwestern United States]], by the [[Shoshone]], [[Southern Paiute|Paiute]], [[Navajo]], [[Pueblo]], [[Hopi]], [[Washo people|Washoe]], and [[Hispanos of New Mexico]].<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.pinenut.com/history.htm|title= History of Pine Nuts & The People of the Great Basin|website= Goods from the Woods|date= 2004|access-date= 8 December 2009|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110717080624/http://www.pinenut.com/history.htm|archive-date= 17 July 2011|url-status= dead}}</ref> Certain treaties negotiated by tribes and laws in [[Nevada]] guarantee Native Americans' right to harvest pine nuts,<ref>{{cite news|author= Frazier, Penny|url= http://www.rawfoodsnewsmagazine.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=88&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20061030193320/http://www.rawfoodsnewsmagazine.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=88&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0|url-status= dead|archive-date= 30 October 2006| title=Pine Nuts, Politics and Public Lands| work=Raw Foods News Magazine|access-date=8 December 2009 |date=30 October 2006 }}</ref> and the state of [[New Mexico]] protects the use of the word ''piñon'' for use with pine nuts from certain species of indigenous New Mexican pines.<ref>{{cite act |title=Piñon Nut Act |number=25, Article 10, Sections 1 through 5 |date=1978 |type=New Mexico Statutes |url=http://www.nmda.nmsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/pinonnutact.pdf |access-date=25 June 2018 }} {{Cite web |url=https://www.nmda.nmsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/pinonnutact.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=27 March 2023 |archive-date=4 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211104050202/https://www.nmda.nmsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/pinonnutact.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

{{multiple image
| image1            = Pine nuts in various stages.jpg
| caption1          = [[Stone pine]] (''Pinus pinea'') nuts
| alt1              = [[Stone pine]] (''Pinus pinea'') nuts
| image2            = KoreanPineSeeds.jpg
| caption2          = [[Korean pine]] (''Pinus koraiensis'') nuts – unshelled, and shell, above; shelled, below
| alt2              = [[Korean pine]] (''Pinus koraiensis'') nuts – unshelled, and shell, above; shelled, below
}}

==Pollination and seed development==

Pine nuts will not reach full maturity unless the environmental conditions are favorable for the tree and the cone. The time to maturity varies depending on the species.

For some American species, development begins in early spring with pollination. A tiny cone, about the size of a small marble, will form from mid-spring through the end of summer; this immature cone will temporarily cease growing and remain dormant until the following spring, then grow again until it reaches maturity near the end of its second summer. The mature piñon pine cone is ready to harvest ten days before the green cone begins to open. A cone is harvested by placing it in a [[burlap bag]] and exposing it to a heat source such as the sun to begin drying. It takes about 20 days until the cone fully opens. Once it is fully open and dry, the seed can be easily extracted in various ways. The most common and practical extraction method used is the repeated striking of the burlap bag containing the cone(s) against a rough surface to cause the cone(s) to shatter, leaving just the job of separating by hand the seed from the residue within the bag.

Another option for harvesting is to wait until the cone opens on the tree (as it naturally will) and harvest the cone from the piñon pine, followed by the extracting process mentioned above. Fallen seeds can also be gathered beneath the trees.

==Ecology and status==

Because pine nuts are an important food source for many animals, [[overharvesting]] of pine nuts threatens local ecosystems, an effect occurring during the early 21st century with increased [[culinary]] uses for pine nuts.<ref name="slaght">{{cite news|title=Making Pesto? Hold the Pine Nuts|author=Jonathan C. Slaght|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/19/opinion/making-pesto-hold-the-pine-nuts.html|work=The New York Times|date=19 October 2015|access-date=8 May 2019}}</ref> In the United States, millions of hectares of productive pinyon pine woods have been destroyed due to conversion of lands, and in China and Russia, destructive harvesting techniques (such as breaking off whole branches to harvest the cones) and removal of trees for timber have led to losses in production capacity.<ref name=lanner1/><ref name=slaght/>

===Elevation and pinecone production===

Some growers claim that the elevation of the pinyon pine is an important determinant of the quantity of pine cone production and, therefore, will largely determine the number of pine nuts the tree will yield.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Elevation and Pinecone Production|url=http://www.wholesalepinenuts.com/index.html#elevation_pinecone_production | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718042443/http://www.wholesalepinenuts.com/index.html| archive-date= 18 July 2011 |access-date=2023-01-16 |website=www.wholesalepinenuts.com}}</ref> The US Department of Agriculture notes that variation in cone production between trees growing on identical sites is often observed.<ref>{{ cite web | url = https://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/misc/ag_654/volume_1/pinus/monophylla.htm | publisher=USDA | quote = Difference in ... cone production among trees growing on identical sites {{sic|1=are}} commonly observed. | title= Singleleaf Pinyon |first1=R. O. |last1=Meeuwig|first2=J. D. |last2=Budy|first3=R. L. |last3=Everett
| access-date= 4 June 2023}}</ref>

American pinyon pine cone production is most commonly found at an elevation between {{convert|6000|and|8500|ft|m|order=flip|abbr=on}}, and ideally at {{convert|7000|ft|m|order=flip|abbr=on}}. This is due to higher temperatures at elevations lower than {{convert|6000|ft|m|order=flip|abbr=on}} during the spring, which dry up humidity and moisture content (particularly snow packs) that provide for the tree throughout the spring and summer, causing little nourishment for pine cone maturity.

Although several other environmental factors determine the conditions of the ecosystem (such as clouds and rain), the trees tend to abort cones without sufficient water. High humidity encourages cone development.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pine Cones Open and Close in Response to Weather — Biological Strategy — AskNature |url=https://asknature.org/strategy/pine-cones-open-and-close-in-response-to-weather/ |access-date=2022-03-11 |website=asknature.org }}</ref> There are certain topographical areas found in lower elevations, such as shaded canyons, where the humidity remains constant throughout the spring and summer, allowing pine cones to fully mature and produce seed.

At elevations above {{convert|8500|ft|m|order=flip|abbr=on}}, the temperature substantially drops, drastically affecting the state of the dormant cone.  During the winter, frequent dramatic changes in temperature, drying, and gusty winds make the cones susceptible to [[freeze-drying]] that permanently damages them; in this case, growth is stunted, and the seeds deteriorate.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Wholesale Pine Nuts|url=https://www.wholesalepinenuts.com/index.html#pollination_seed_development |title=Pinecone production in regards to elevation|work=Pinecone Characteristics and Ecology|access-date= 20 April 2010}}</ref>

==Physical characteristics==

[[File:Nuts of pine 2 species.jpg|thumb|[[Korean pine]] and [[Armand pine]] nut distinctions|alt=[[Korean pine]] and [[Armand pine]] pine nut physical characteristics and noticeable differences]]

When first extracted from the pine [[conifer cone|cone]], they are covered with a hard shell (seed coat), thin in some species and thick in others. The nutrition is stored in the embryo ([[sporophyte]]) in the center. Although a [[nut (fruit)|nut]] in the culinary sense, in the [[botany|botanical]] sense, pine nuts are seeds; being a [[gymnosperm]], they lack a [[carpel]] (fruit) outside.

The shell must be removed before the pine nut can be eaten. Unshelled pine nuts have a long shelf life if kept dry and refrigerated ({{convert|-5|to|2|C|F|disp=or}}); shelled nuts (and unshelled nuts in warm conditions) deteriorate rapidly, becoming rancid within a few weeks or even days in warm, humid conditions. Pine nuts are commercially available in the shelled form, but due to poor storage, they can have poor flavor and may already be rancid at the time of purchase. Consequently, pine nuts are often frozen to preserve their flavor.<ref>{{cite web|title=Pine Nut Shelf Life: How Long Do Pine Nuts Last?|website=freshpantry.com |url=https://fresherpantry.com/nuts/how-long-do-pine-nuts-last/ |access-date=23 May 2021 }}</ref>

European pine nuts may be distinguished from Asian ones by their greater length than girth; Asian pine nuts are stubbier, shaped somewhat like long kernels of corn.  The American piñon nuts are known for their large size and ease of shelling. In the United States, ''[[Pinus edulis]]'', the hard shell of New Mexico and Colorado, became a sought-after species due to the [[trading post]] system and the Navajo people who used the nuts as a means of commerce. The Italian pine nut (''[[Pinus pinea|P. pinea]]'') was brought to the United States by immigrants and became a favored treat along the East Coast in the early 1930s, when [[bumper crop]]s of American pine nuts were readily available at low prices.

==Nutrition==

{{nutritionalvalue | name = Nuts, pine nuts, shelled, dried | kJ=2815 | protein=13.7 g | fat=68.4 g | satfat=4.9 g | monofat=18.7 g | polyfat=34.1 g | carbs=13.1 g | sugars=3.6 g | starch=5.81 g | fiber=3.7 g | choline_mg=55.8 | thiamin_mg=0.4 | riboflavin_mg=0.2 | niacin_mg=4.4 | folate_ug=34 | vitA_ug = 1 | betacarotene_ug=17 | pantothenic_mg=0.3 | vitB6_mg=0.1 | vitC_mg=0.8 | vitE_mg=9.3 |  vitK_ug=53.9 | calcium_mg=16 | iron_mg=5.5 | magnesium_mg=251 | manganese_mg=8.8 | selenium_ug=0.7 | phosphorus_mg=575 | potassium_mg=597 | zinc_mg=6.4 | water=2.3 g | copper_mg=1.3 | source_usda=1 |  note=[https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/1100548/nutrients Link to USDA Database entry]}}

When dried for eating, pine nuts are 2% water, 13% [[carbohydrate]]s, 14% [[protein (nutrient)|protein]], and 68% fat (table). In a {{convert|100|g|oz|abbr=off|adj=on|frac=2}} reference serving, dried pine nuts supply {{convert|2815|kJ|kcal|abbr=off}} of [[food energy]] and are a rich source (20% or more of the [[Daily Value]], DV) of numerous [[micronutrient]]s, particularly [[manganese]] (419% DV), [[phosphorus]] (82% DV), [[magnesium]] (71% DV), [[zinc]] (67% DV), copper (65% DV), and such [[Antioxidant|antioxidants]] as [[vitamin E]] (62% DV), [[vitamin K]] (51% DV), and the [[B vitamins]], [[thiamin]] and [[Niacin (nutrient)|niacin]] (29–35% DV), among others (table).

==Culinary uses==

Pine nuts have been eaten in Europe and Asia since the [[Paleolithic]] period.{{Citation needed|date=April 2023}} They are frequently added to meat, fish, salads, and vegetable [[recipe|dishes]] or baked into bread.

[[File:Shelled pine nuts and cedar oil in vials. Buryatia, Russia.jpg|thumb|left|alt=With [[cedar oil]], [[Buryatia]]|Shelled nuts and vials of [[cedar oil]]. [[Buryatia]], [[Russia]]]]
[[File:Pinon nuts packed for shipment, 1921.jpg|thumb|left|Pinon nuts (''Pinus edulis'') packed for shipment, [[Santa Fe, New Mexico]], 1921|alt=Pinons packed for shipment, [[Santa Fe, New Mexico|Santa Fe, NM, US]], 1921]]
[[File:Drying of pine nuts.jpg|thumb|upright|Drying of pine nuts (Siberia)]]

In Italian, they are called ''pinoli'' (in the US, they are often called ''pignoli'', but in Italy, ''pignolo'' is actually a word far more commonly used to describe a fussy, overly fastidious or extremely meticulous person)<ref>Locally also ''pinoccoli'' or ''pinocchi''; [[Pinocchio]] is the [[Tuscan dialect|Tuscan]] (Florentine) word for "pine nut", from [[Vulgar Latin]] *''pīnuculus''. (Devoto, Battisti-Alessio)</ref> and are an essential component of Italian [[pesto]] sauce; the upsurge in the popularity of this sauce since the 1990s has increased the visibility of the nut in America, primarily on the West Coast. ''Torta della nonna'' (literally "granny's cake") is a generic Italian dish name that in most families indicates an old family recipe for any cake but often is used for a [[tart]] or a [[pie]] filled with custard, topped with pine nuts and optionally dusted with [[icing sugar]]. [[Pignoli (cookie)|Pignoli cookies]], an Italian American specialty confection (in Italy, these would be called ''biscotti ai pinoli''), are made of [[almond meal|almond flour]] formed into a dough similar to that of a [[macaroon]] and then topped with pine nuts.

In the [[Catalan language|Catalan]]-speaking regions of [[Spain]], a sweet called [[panellets]] is made of small [[marzipan]] balls covered with pine nuts, painted with egg, and lightly cooked. Pine nuts are also featured in the ''salade landaise'' of [[Cuisine of France|southwestern France]]. Nevada, or Great Basin, pine nut has a sweet fruity flavor and is promoted for its large size, sweet flavor, and ease of peeling.

[[File:Christmas pinioli cookies.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Christmas]] [[Pinolate (cookie)|Italian pinioli cookies]] from [[Charleston, South Carolina]]]]

Pine nuts are also widely used in [[Levantine cuisine]], reflected in a diverse range of dishes such as ''[[kibbeh]]'', ''[[sambusak]]'', ''[[fatayer]]'', and ''[[Maqluba]]'', desserts such as [[baklava]], [[meghli]], and many others.<ref>Basan, Ghillie. ''The Levantine Table: Vibrant and delicious recipes from the Eastern Mediterranean and Beyond'', Ryland Peters & Small, London, July 12, 2022</ref>

Throughout Europe, the [[Levant]], and [[West Asia]], the pine nuts used are traditionally from ''[[Pinus pinea]]'' (stone pine).{{Dubious|date=January 2012}} They are easily distinguished from the Asian pine nuts by their more slender shape and more homogeneous flesh. Because of the lower price, Asian pine nuts are also often used, especially in cheaper preparations.

[[Pine nut oil]] is added to foods for flavor.<ref name="fao">{{cite book| chapter-url=http://www.fao.org/docrep/X0453E/X0453e12.htm| title=Non-wood forest products from conifers| chapter=Chapter 8: Seeds, Fruits and Cones| author=FAO| year=1995| access-date=27 October 2018| archive-date=19 May 2018| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180519144301/http://www.fao.org/docrep/x0453e/X0453e12.htm| url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Taste disturbances===

Some raw pine nuts can cause pine mouth syndrome, a [[dysgeusia|taste disturbance]] lasting from a few days to a few weeks after consumption. A bitter, metallic, unpleasant taste is reported. There are no known lasting effects, with the United States [[Food and Drug Administration]] reporting that there are "no apparent adverse clinical side effects".<ref name="fda">{{cite web|title='Pine Mouth' and Consumption of Pine Nuts |url=https://www.fda.gov/Food/RecallsOutbreaksEmergencies/SafetyAlertsAdvisories/ucm247099.htm |archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/7993/20171104181535/https://www.fda.gov/Food/RecallsOutbreaksEmergencies/SafetyAlertsAdvisories/ucm247099.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=4 November 2017 |date=14 March 2011 |access-date=2 January 2016|website=FDA.gov}}</ref> Raw nuts from ''[[Pinus armandii]]'', mainly in China, may be the cause of the problem.<ref>{{cite journal |pmid=21559093|doi=10.1155/2011/316789 |title=Identification of the Botanical Origin of Commercial Pine Nuts Responsible for Dysgeusia by Gas-Liquid Chromatography Analysis of Fatty Acid Profile |year=2011 |last1=Destaillats |first1=Frédéric |last2=Cruz-Hernandez |first2=Cristina |last3=Giuffrida |first3=Francesca |last4=Dionisi |first4=Fabiola |last5=Mostin |first5=Martine |last6=Verstegen |first6=Geert |journal=[[Journal of Toxicology]] |volume=2011 |pages=1–7 |pmc=3090612 |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref name=":0" /> Metallic taste disturbance is typically reported 1–3 days after ingestion, being worse on day two and typically lasting up to two weeks.<ref name=fda/> Cases are self-limited and resolve without treatment.<ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.1007/s13181-009-0001-1 |title='Pine Mouth' Syndrome: Cacogeusia Following Ingestion of Pine Nuts (Genus: ''Pinus''). An Emerging Problem? |year=2010 |last1=Munk |first1=Marc-David |journal=[[Journal of Medical Toxicology]]|volume=6 |issue=2 |pages=158–159 |pmid=20049580 |pmc=3550279 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last=Ballin|first=Nicolai Z.|title=A Trial Investigating the Symptoms Related to Pine Nut Syndrome|journal=[[Journal of Medical Toxicology]]|date=17 February 2014 |volume=8 |issue=3|pages=278–280 |doi=10.1007/s13181-012-0216-4 |pmid=22351301|pmc=3550163}}</ref>

===Food fraud===

In the United States, from 2008 to 2012, some people reported a bitter metallic taste ("pine mouth") that sometimes lasted for weeks after they ate pine nuts. After an international investigation, the FDA found that some manufacturers substituted a non-food species of pine nuts in place of more expensive edible pine nut species as a form of [[food fraud]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Nutrition |first1=Center for Food Safety and Applied |title=Economically Motivated Adulteration (Food Fraud) |url=https://www.fda.gov/food/compliance-enforcement-food/economically-motivated-adulteration-food-fraud |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211105170653/https://www.fda.gov/food/compliance-enforcement-food/economically-motivated-adulteration-food-fraud |url-status=dead |archive-date=5 November 2021 |website=FDA |access-date=18 May 2024 |date=April 15, 2024}}{{source-attribution}}</ref>

==Other uses==

Some Native American tribes use the hard outer shell of the pine nut as a [[bead]] for decorative purposes in traditional regalia and jewelry. In the [[Great Basin]] area of the US, collecting pine nuts is a protected right through state law and treaty.<ref>{{cite web|title=Indians 101: Pine Nuts|url=http://nativeamericannetroots.net/diary/1048|website=NativeAmericanRoots.net}}</ref>

In northern California, pine nuts are collected from the grey pine or bull pine. Tribes burn designs into the hard shell, reflecting the same design they use in baskets; however, they are often left blank or burned to blacken. These are more often used in women's regalia and jewelry.<ref>{{cite web|title=Our People, Traditional Materials and Designs – Karuk, Yurok, Hupa|url=http://www.fromtherivercollective.com/Our_People.html|website=fromtheerivercollective.com|access-date=13 April 2015|archive-date=22 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150422064309/http://www.fromtherivercollective.com/Our_People.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==See also==

* [[Assidat Zgougou]] – a Tunisian dessert made of pine nuts
* [[Jatjuk]] – a Korean porridge prepared using pine nuts
* [[List of edible seeds]]

==References==

{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==

*  {{cite journal | last1 = Farris | first1 = Glenn J. | year = 1982 | title = Pine Nuts as an Aboriginal Food Source in California and Nevada: Some Contrasts | journal =[[Journal of Ethnobiology]]| volume = 2 | issue = 2| pages = 114–122 |url=https://ethnobiology.org/sites/default/files/pdfs/JoE/2-2/Farris1982.pdf }}
*  {{cite book| author=Farris, Glenn J. & Blackburn, T.C. (Comp. and Ed.) & Anderson K.  |chapter=Quality Food: The Quest for Pine Nuts in Northern California|title= Before the Wilderness: Environmental Management by Native Californians|pages= 229–240|number= 40|edition=[[Ballena Press]], 1993}}

==External links==

{{Commons category|Pinus seeds}}

* {{cite web|url=https://www.cbi.eu/market-information/processed-fruit-vegetables-edible-nuts/pine-nuts|title=Exporting pine nuts to Europe
|website=Center for the Promotion of Imports |date=24 April 2019 |access-date=2023-01-03}}
* {{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2014/10/08/354306891/love-pine-nuts-then-protect-pine-forests|title=Love Pine Nuts? Then Protect Pine Forests|access-date=19 April 2015|author=Charles, Dan |date=8 October 2014|website=NPR}}

{{Nuts}}
{{Non-timber forest products}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pine Nut}}
[[Category:Edible nuts and seeds]]
[[Category:Pinus]]
[[Category:Plants used in Native American cuisine]]
[[Category:Cuisine of the Southwestern United States]]