Nut cream

Almonds

Almonds come originally from Near East and Central Asia. From there they came to the Mediterranean area, which is a great growing area today. With a good 50 percent the USA (California) is the World leading nation in production. Far behind are countries like Spain, Iran, Morocco, Italy, China and Tunisia. After the green drupe opened, you can see the kernel. Behind the hard shell you can find the seed, which is covered by a brown peel.

There are “sweet almonds” and “bitter almonds”.

As a rule, bitter almonds are delivered without shell. Exporting nations are countries like Morocco, Iran and Spain. The bitter almond contains the bitter substance amygdalin, which splits up in dextrose, bitter almond oil and toxic hydrocyanic acid, in combination with water and emulsin. Tip: the hydrocyanic acid volatilizes when cooking or baking. The unique taste of the bitter almond oil maintains.

Sweet almonds with shell are imported in small quantities from the USA, Spain and Portugal. In most cases, you can find them in nut mixtures. The top seller is almond kernels (peeled). These are imported in swarms from the USA and Spain to Germany. Almonds contain about 53 percent of fat and 34 percent of high-quality protein. Thus, they are one of the most high-fibre nuts. Furthermore, they contain vitamin B and E as well as magnesium. As a result, almonds can help to reduce the cholesterol level and ensure a healthy intestinal flora. You can keep almond kernels at cold temperatures up to one year.

Raw, roasted, salted, sugared. There are many ways to enjoy almonds. You can find them in baked good and confectionery such as marzipan and nougat, however, they are used to produce cosmetic products such as almond oil or soup as well.

Pecan nuts

Pecan nuts belong to the family of the walnut tree plant. 96 percent of the production comes from the south of the USA and Mexico. Small growing are can be found in countries like South Africa and Australia. The seed is covered by a smooth and rather thin shell. Even to the harvest the 30-50 meters high trees are shook. After collecting, washing and selecting, the pecan nuts are dried. At cold temperatures the seeds can be stored for about 9 months. The kernels contain about 72 percent fat including a high proportion of valuable acids. Ingredients as calcium, magnesium and iron are contained as well. The consumption of pecan nuts promotes the cardiovascular system. They are recommended for people with diabetes or high blood pressure. Pecan nuts are a very popular snack, both raw and roasted. You can often find them in baked goods such as cookies or cake as well as in chocolate or pudding.

Tiger nuts

Tiger nuts belong to the family of Cyprus. In particular, the tiger nut can be found in tropic and subtropical areas like East Africa and Brazil as well as in North America, Spain and East India. The tiger nut has already been cultivated in ancient Egypt. It grows underground. The root is the edible part of the tiger nut. It tastes like a mixture of almonds and peanuts. The pulp contains of 40 percent of carbs and is rich in unsaturated fatty acids, fibres and minerals. The tiger nuts promotes the digestion, protects from gastrointestinal illnesses und supplies the body with energy.

Dates

You can find the 7,000 years old date palm in the Persian Gulf. Its growing area is from Morocco to Pakistan. The date is also grown in countries like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Algeria, Israel, Iran as well as in the United Arab Emirates. With 57 percent Germanys leading supplier is Tunisia. There are hundreds of different date types, but only exceedingly few are on the international market.

Dates are fleshy berries with a gold-yellow to dark-brown peel and a hard kernel. The pulp is soft, rather dry and very sweet. It consists of 65 percent of carbs. Moreover, dates are rich in essential ingredients such as fibres and minerals like potassium, calcium or magnesium and B vitamins like nicotinamide and pantothenic acid. They have a positive effect on the gastrointestinal tract and the heart and prevent diseases. Dates have a high proportion of the amino acid tryptophan. This substance is converted to the sleep hormone melatonin. Shortly said, dates are good against sleeping problems.

In any case, dates have to be stored cool. Dried dates can be kept for longer than fresh dates. However, you have to watch out for mites. While organic dates are ripened in the sun, other dates are dried with hot air. Dates are often covered with glycose syrup.

You can enjoy dates in many ways. You can add them to your muesli, quark or fruit salad. In addition, you can fill them with nougat, marzipan or cheese. They are proceeded to liquor or syrup as well.

Soya

Soybeans are pulses. They have been cultivated for more than 5,000 years. The place of origin is in the northeast of China. They came from Japan to South Asia 2,000 years ago. In the 18th century, they came to Europa. Soybeans are not only used for foods and oil, but for the production of biodiesel as well. The leading nations in production of soybeans are the USA, Brazil, Argentina, India and China. A sleeve contains between 1 and 5 seeds. The colour of the seed can be beige or purple. The most important ingredients of the soybean are protein, fat and carbs. Furthermore, the contain plenty of vitamins and essential minerals like calcium, magnesium and iron. Soybeans are said to prevent bowel and tumour diseases. Moreover, they are said to promote the prevention of heart diseases and osteoporosis, however, this have not been proved. Also contained in a large amount is the amino acid l-tryptophan, which is a remedy for depression and insomnia. Moreover, soya is free of cholesterol, like all organic foods. Soya milk is produced by squeezing soybeans to soya oil. During the process of pressing a side product is made, which becomes soya milk when boiling with water. Tofu is also made of soya milk. In health portions, soya improves your own health. However, the most soybeans are genetically modified, so that you should pay attention to the organic label. In most cases, genetically modified soybeans are exposed to pesticides.