Skewered Ginkgo Nuts
Ginkgo biloba is a beautiful tree that has been planted for its ornamental value in both the east and the west. It has been praised for its medicinal qualities and for improving memory.
It’s a large and long lived tree, requiring both a male and female to produce nuts. The fruits unfortunately, are very caustic and will cause chemical burns if in contact with skin so care should be taken when harvesting them. The pulpy flesh also smell terrible, like vomit, but the nuts inside provide a very special treat.
You can usually find them in the Asian supermarket towards the end of fall into winter.
Due to their slight toxicity, I tend not to eat more than 20 at a time, although roasted, it’s a popular snack food in Japanese bars, and traditionally something to steam with chawanmushi (steamed egg.)
There’s a myth that you can’t eat more than the number of years in your age but unfortunately, they don’t tell you in what intervals! Either way, eat this treat sparingly.
Recipe
- Gingko Nuts, shelled
- Bamboo skewers, soaked
Optional
- Sea salt
- Cracked pepper
- Ichimi-Shichimi pepper flakes
- Teriyaki Salt
1. Soak bamboo skewers for half an hour so they don’t burn over the fire.
2. Shell fresh gingko nuts with a nutcracker. Rub with a wet paper towel to remove the papery membrane around the shelled nuts. Skewer and roast over charcoal until translucent. Alternatively, the unshelled nuts can be popped in the microwave inside a paper bag. Careful, they will be hot!
3. Brush with teriyaki sauce or sprinkle with salt, pepper, or shichimi powder for different flavors.