What Kind of "Nut" Are You? Trivia Quiz

Answer: An Australian named John MacAdam

Baron Ferdinand von Mueller of the Royal Botanical Gardens of Australia named it after his friend John MacAdam. Unfortunately, Mr MacAdam died on his voyage to taste the nut named after him. Australia and Hawaii are the two leading producers of macadamia nuts in the world today.

Answer: Peanut

The Peanut originated in South and Central America. After being exported to Africa, it was then brought to North America. Inventor George Washington Carver originated over 100 uses for the peanut. Also of note, the 39th President of the US, Jimmy Carter, was a Georgia peanut farmer.

Answer: Cashew

The Caju tree is indigenous to northeast Brazil. The pseudo fruit is so called because it does not contain seeds, but it is edible and enjoyed by people in Brazil. Unfortunately the fruit's skin is too delicate to be transported and therefore is not used as a cash crop.

Answer: Almond

Almonds originated in the Middle East but today California accounts for 80% of the global almond supply. The almond is actually a drupe rather than a true nut. It is also used to make marzipan and nougat. My favorite, however, is when they are smoked!

Answer: Pecan

Pecan trees are in the hickory family. While the nuts are high in fat, they make *really* good pies! They also go well in cookies. They first started being cultivated in 1880 in the southeastern USA.

Answer: Pistachio

Pistachios were originally dyed to cover up staining which occurred when they were hand picked. Stains are no longer a concern now that they are handled by machines. Popular perception has led to the continued dying, even though there is no longer a need.

Answer: Chestnut

Unfortunately, the Asian fungus "diaporthe parasitica" was introduced to the area and caused the "Chestnut blight" from 1900 to 1908, virtually killing all but a few of the 4 billion American Chestnut trees. Only very few remain and many of those live just long enough to drop a seed before succumbing to the fungus. For over 100 years, efforts have been made to protect and help bring the species back but with little success. Before 1900, Chestnut trees were the staple lumber supply for building houses in eastern America.

Answer: Brazil

Brazil nut production requires the complex rainforest model to reproduce. Efforts to produce the nuts in orchards are poor at best so the production of the Brazil nuts we eat depends on wild harvests. Due to this demand, the harvest of Brazil nuts is offered as an alternative to destroying the rainforest for local peasants.

The fruit inside the coconut-like shell is in the form of 8 to 24 triangular seeds. The nut inside the seed has the highest saturated fat content of all edible nuts. As a result, Brazil nuts become rancid if shelled too long before eating.

Answer: Corn nut

In 1936, Albert Holloway invented the corn nut to sell to tavern owners to give to patrons as a snack while they drank. Holloway took corn kernels and deep fried them to make this tasty snack upon which he could add spices to change the taste. He later discovered a Peruvian species, known as Cusco corn, grew kernels up to 1 inch which he added to his recipe.

The product Corn Nuts is now owned by Planters, a division of Kraft foods.

Answer: Buckeye

Ohio is the "Buckeye State" and "Brutus Buckeye" is the mascot for Ohio State University. Native Americans boiled off the toxin and were able to make porridge out of the nut though few others have found a use for it. The lumber is also not much used. So the primary use of the tree is... well... being a tree.