Pecan

Pecan is a tree nut with oval, grooved, golden-brown halves enclosed by a thin smooth shell. The nut tastes buttery and sweet with a soft, slightly crumbly bite; it toasts quickly and releases a warm praline aroma. Common uses include pies, pralines, brittles, granola, and salads, and it is sold as halves, pieces, in-shell, and shelled.\n\nNative to river valleys of the south-central United States and northern Mexico, pecans became a staple in Southern baking and confectionery before spreading worldwide. Commercial orchards harvest in autumn, then shell, sort, and dry the kernels for storage and export.