Roasted nuts

Have you ever smelt freshly roasted nuts?? There is nothing quite like it. In my hometown of 's Hertogenbosch we had a shop totally dedicated to roasted nuts. I remember when I was growing up going to this shop just to stand outside to catch the smells coming out of the shop. My friends and I could be there for hours!! Since then I have been able to taste freshly roasted nuts as well and it is a bit like fresh bread, you cannot beat it!

Did you know

Nuts are seeds that are covered with a hard shell. Most are the seeds of trees, but the seeds of a few other plants that are not strictly nuts will also be considered here as they can be conveniently classified with nuts for culinary purposes.

Nuts can be used in many ways. Whole, flaked and ground nuts and nut butters are widely available. Nuts in general are very nutritious, providing protein and many essential vitamins, such as A and E, minerals, such as phosphorous and potassium, and fibre. Nuts are also high in carbohydrate and oils.

Cashews are n ative to America but now grown extensively in India and East Africa . It will withstand rather drier conditions than most other nuts. The nut grows in a curious way on the tree, hanging below a fleshy, apple-like fruit. It is related to the mango, pistachio and poison ivy.

Peanuts are a lso known as groundnuts or monkey nuts, peanuts are actually legumes. Of South American origin, it's now an important crop all over the tropics and southern USA. It gets its name groundnut because as the pods ripen, they are actually forced underground. Peanuts are high in protein and contain 40-50% oil. The oil is used in cooking, as salad oil, in margarines and the residue is fed to animals. Whole peanuts can be eaten raw or roasted or made into peanut butter (look out for brands which do not contain hydrogenated oils, which are highly saturated). As they are usually inexpensive, they can be mixed with other kinds of nuts to bring down the cost, while still maintaining flavour and good nutrition .

In the shop

In the Smart Good Food Shop we have freshly roasted nuts. We offer them loose so you can buy as much or as little as you want. If they are still warm, then we advise you to open the bag when you get home to let them cool before putting them in an airtight container and resist temptation!!