Walnut

A walnut is the edible seed of the walnut tree, typically sold as crinkled two-lobed halves or smaller pieces with a thin brown skin. It tastes buttery and mildly bitter from the tannic skin, with a tender crunch that deepens and sweetens when toasted; it blends into pestos and sauces and adds texture to baked goods and salads, sold in-shell, shelled halves, or pieces.

The English or Persian walnut (Juglans regia) originated in Central Asia and the Mediterranean and spread through Europe before large-scale cultivation in North America. It features in Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, and European cuisines, with major modern production in California and China.