Warning: May Contain Nuts Trivia Quiz

Answer: Peanut

Peanuts are the most consumed nuts in America. That, of course, covers not just the natural peanuts, but processed items such as peanut butter.

It has been estimated you could carpet the floor of the Grand Canyon with the peanuts that go into the American food market each year.

Figures for 2018 show that 42 million metric tonnes of peanuts were eaten worldwide. To put that into perspective, that is 42 times more than the next favourite - almonds.

Despite that popularity, peanuts remain one of the foods most commonly associated with allergies.

Answer: Almond

Almond trees are native to Iran and nearby countries, although the USA was by the 21st Century the largest producer worldwide of almonds.

A number of health-giving qualities are associated with almonds As well as being eaten raw or roasted, almonds can be used to make milk, oil, butter, flour or a paste known as marzipan.

Almonds contain lots of fibre, proteins, fat, Vitamin B1, Vitamin E, manganese and magnesium. They are also a source of antioxidants.

Answer: Hazelnut

Hazelnuts can be eaten raw, but once you have cracked open the shell it is best to remove the skin.

Hazelnuts are widely grown in Europe and North America. They are often added to muesli and other cereals.

Hazelnuts have many health benefits. These include beneficial effects on the skin and bones, heart and digestive health.

Answer: Brazil nuts

As the name suggests, the nut originated in South America. In 2017, the world's largest producer was the Ivory Coast.

The tree from which they come can live for at least 500 years, and some up to 1,000 years.

Although they are generally good for you, it is not advised to eat more than about four a day if you are taking selenium supplements. A single Brazil nut delivers twice the daily recommended requirement. Eating too many by anybody can have unfortunate, even fatal, consequences.

Answer: Walnut

Quiz players in the UK and Ireland may have recognised the clue in the question: whip. This is a reference to a confection made by the Nestle company which comprised a chocolate shell enclosing a nougat centre and topped with half a walnut. Sadly for nut nuts (sorry) the walnut was taken off from 2017 onwards.

The Romans considered walnuts "the food of the gods". An historical dig in Israel found evidence that nuts had been a foodstuff some 780,000 years ago. The walnut originated in Persia.

Walnuts contain lots of calories and some experts recommend eating only one or two a day.

Answer: True

The shells of cashew nuts are toxic and so are the nuts themselves if eaten raw. They contain the same toxic substance as poison ivy. The cashew nuts you buy have been slightly steamed first.

Questions have also been raised about the ethics of cashew production. It has been claimed the processes in some factories expose workers to the toxins.

Like most nuts, they have health benefits, though more than 30 grammes day may be too many. Those benefits may be affected by the habit of coating them with salt.

Answer: Macadamia

Macadamia nuts are high in healthy fat and can help you lose weight. They are also thought to lower the risk of heart disease and are suitable for people with diabetes.

The nuts are native to Australia. By the start of the 21st Century, South Africa was the world's largest producer, but there were also significant productions in North and South America.

As to that hard shell, Pete Seeger knew the best way to get to the nut - "If I Had A Hammer..."

Answer: False

Well you could try to eat a raw chestnut, if you wanted to risk gastrointestinal pain and other issues.

You need to check the variety: some are toxic. The two basic types are horse chestnut - do not eat - and sweet chestnuts.

If you want to tell them apart, both produce a brown nut, but edible chestnuts have a tassel or point. The toxic horse chestnut is rounded and smooth with no point or tassel.

The most common method of preparing edible chestnuts to eat is roasting.

Properly prepared, edible chestnuts have many health benefits.

Answer: Acorn

The original phrase was "mighty oaks from little acorns grow".

On maturity, oak trees can reach up to 45 metres and spread almost as wide. They do not start to produce acorns until they are about 50 years old. They can live for 1,000 years or more.

Raw acorns are toxic to humans, but they can be eaten if the tannin is removed.

Acorns are high in potassium, iron, vitamins A and E, and several important minerals.

If you do want to eat them, there are instructions online to tell you how to prepare them, safely. Once safely prepared, they can be roasted.

However, like peanuts, they can produce an allergic reaction.

Answer: Pistachio

The pistachio crop is a biennial one, every second year. They can be eaten as a nut or as part of a confection. They are a source of protein and of "good fats" that can lower cholesterol.

Turkey tops the list of countries that eat the most pistachios, followed by the USA.