🌰 Nut Vocab
The English word nut is used more broadly in everyday food language than it is in botany. Peanuts are actually legumes, pine nuts are seeds, and tiger nuts are small tubers. Some foods also have two common names: hazelnuts may be called filberts, and pine nuts may appear as pignoli in Italian-American cooking. Learning these names will help you understand snack packages, baking recipes, restaurant menus, and grocery labels.
🥜 Everyday Nuts
🤍 Almonds
mild, firm nuts with a slightly sweet flavor
Example: She sprinkled sliced almonds over the cake before serving it.
🇫🇷 French: Amandes
🇩🇪 German: Mandeln
🇮🇹 Italian: Mandorle
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Amêndoas
💡 Nuance: Almonds appear in many forms: whole, sliced, slivered, ground, and as almond flour. These preparation words are useful throughout cooking English.
mild, firm nuts with a slightly sweet flavor
Example: She sprinkled sliced almonds over the cake before serving it.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Almendras🇫🇷 French: Amandes
🇩🇪 German: Mandeln
🇮🇹 Italian: Mandorle
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Amêndoas
💡 Nuance: Almonds appear in many forms: whole, sliced, slivered, ground, and as almond flour. These preparation words are useful throughout cooking English.
🧠 Walnuts
wrinkled nuts with a rich, slightly bitter flavor
Example: I added chopped walnuts to the brownie batter.
🇫🇷 French: Noix
🇩🇪 German: Walnüsse
🇮🇹 Italian: Noci
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Nozes
💡 Nuance: When a recipe simply says walnuts, it usually means the common English or Persian walnut. Black walnuts have a much stronger flavor and are usually named specifically.
wrinkled nuts with a rich, slightly bitter flavor
Example: I added chopped walnuts to the brownie batter.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Nueces🇫🇷 French: Noix
🇩🇪 German: Walnüsse
🇮🇹 Italian: Noci
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Nozes
💡 Nuance: When a recipe simply says walnuts, it usually means the common English or Persian walnut. Black walnuts have a much stronger flavor and are usually named specifically.
🟤 Pecans
rich North American nuts with a naturally sweet, buttery flavor
Example: Pecan pie is one of the best-known desserts made with pecans.
🇫🇷 French: Noix de pécan
🇩🇪 German: Pekannüsse
🇮🇹 Italian: Noci pecan
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Nozes-pecã
💡 Nuance: Pecans and walnuts look similar, but pecans generally taste sweeter and less bitter. English speakers often describe pecans as buttery or toasty.
rich North American nuts with a naturally sweet, buttery flavor
Example: Pecan pie is one of the best-known desserts made with pecans.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Pacanas / pecanas🇫🇷 French: Noix de pécan
🇩🇪 German: Pekannüsse
🇮🇹 Italian: Noci pecan
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Nozes-pecã
💡 Nuance: Pecans and walnuts look similar, but pecans generally taste sweeter and less bitter. English speakers often describe pecans as buttery or toasty.
🌙 Cashews
curved, pale nuts with a mild, creamy flavor
Example: The stir-fry was topped with roasted cashews.
🇫🇷 French: Noix de cajou
🇩🇪 German: Cashewkerne
🇮🇹 Italian: Anacardi
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Castanhas de caju
💡 Nuance: Cashews are botanically seeds, although English speakers group them with nuts in cooking and shopping. The cashews sold in stores have already been processed and removed from their original shells.
curved, pale nuts with a mild, creamy flavor
Example: The stir-fry was topped with roasted cashews.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Anacardos🇫🇷 French: Noix de cajou
🇩🇪 German: Cashewkerne
🇮🇹 Italian: Anacardi
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Castanhas de caju
💡 Nuance: Cashews are botanically seeds, although English speakers group them with nuts in cooking and shopping. The cashews sold in stores have already been processed and removed from their original shells.
🟢 Pistachios
small green nuts commonly sold in partially opened shells
Example: We bought a bag of roasted pistachios for the trip.
🇫🇷 French: Pistaches
🇩🇪 German: Pistazien
🇮🇹 Italian: Pistacchi
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Pistácios
💡 Nuance: Packages may say either pistachios or pistachio nuts. The longer form does not refer to a different food.
small green nuts commonly sold in partially opened shells
Example: We bought a bag of roasted pistachios for the trip.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Pistachos🇫🇷 French: Pistaches
🇩🇪 German: Pistazien
🇮🇹 Italian: Pistacchi
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Pistácios
💡 Nuance: Packages may say either pistachios or pistachio nuts. The longer form does not refer to a different food.
🌰 Hazelnuts
round brown nuts with a rich, sweet, toasted flavor
Example: Toasted hazelnuts pair especially well with chocolate.
🇫🇷 French: Noisettes
🇩🇪 German: Haselnüsse
🇮🇹 Italian: Nocciole
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Avelãs
💡 Nuance: Filbert is another English name associated with hazelnuts. Hazelnut is the more familiar general food word for most learners.
round brown nuts with a rich, sweet, toasted flavor
Example: Toasted hazelnuts pair especially well with chocolate.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Avellanas🇫🇷 French: Noisettes
🇩🇪 German: Haselnüsse
🇮🇹 Italian: Nocciole
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Avelãs
💡 Nuance: Filbert is another English name associated with hazelnuts. Hazelnut is the more familiar general food word for most learners.
⚪ Macadamia Nuts
round, pale nuts with a very rich, buttery texture
Example: White-chocolate macadamia cookies were on the bakery counter.
🇫🇷 French: Noix de macadamia
🇩🇪 German: Macadamianüsse
🇮🇹 Italian: Noci di macadamia
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Nozes de macadâmia
💡 Nuance: Macadamias are often described as rich, buttery, or creamy. These words describe their flavor and texture; they do not mean the nuts contain dairy butter.
round, pale nuts with a very rich, buttery texture
Example: White-chocolate macadamia cookies were on the bakery counter.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Nueces de macadamia🇫🇷 French: Noix de macadamia
🇩🇪 German: Macadamianüsse
🇮🇹 Italian: Noci di macadamia
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Nozes de macadâmia
💡 Nuance: Macadamias are often described as rich, buttery, or creamy. These words describe their flavor and texture; they do not mean the nuts contain dairy butter.
🇧🇷 Brazil Nuts
large, elongated nuts with a rich, dense texture
Example: There were several Brazil nuts in the bowl of mixed nuts.
🇫🇷 French: Noix du Brésil
🇩🇪 German: Paranüsse
🇮🇹 Italian: Noci del Brasile
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Castanhas-do-pará
💡 Nuance: Notice that Brazil nut is a compound food name. A baru nut is a completely different food even though it also comes from Brazil.
large, elongated nuts with a rich, dense texture
Example: There were several Brazil nuts in the bowl of mixed nuts.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Nueces de Brasil🇫🇷 French: Noix du Brésil
🇩🇪 German: Paranüsse
🇮🇹 Italian: Noci del Brasile
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Castanhas-do-pará
💡 Nuance: Notice that Brazil nut is a compound food name. A baru nut is a completely different food even though it also comes from Brazil.
🌲 Pine Nuts
small, pale edible seeds taken from certain pine cones
Example: Traditional pesto often contains basil, olive oil, cheese, and pine nuts.
🇫🇷 French: Pignons
🇩🇪 German: Pinienkerne
🇮🇹 Italian: Pinoli
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Pinhões
💡 Nuance: Pine nuts are seeds even though English calls them nuts. You may also encounter the Italian-derived word pignoli, especially in bakery names.
small, pale edible seeds taken from certain pine cones
Example: Traditional pesto often contains basil, olive oil, cheese, and pine nuts.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Piñones🇫🇷 French: Pignons
🇩🇪 German: Pinienkerne
🇮🇹 Italian: Pinoli
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Pinhões
💡 Nuance: Pine nuts are seeds even though English calls them nuts. You may also encounter the Italian-derived word pignoli, especially in bakery names.
🥜 Peanuts
small legumes that grow underground but are eaten like nuts
Example: We shared a bowl of salted peanuts while we waited for dinner.
🇫🇷 French: Cacahuètes
🇩🇪 German: Erdnüsse
🇮🇹 Italian: Arachidi
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Amendoins
💡 Nuance: Peanuts are legumes, not tree nuts, but everyday English groups them with nuts because of how they are eaten and sold. Groundnut is another English name used in some regions.
small legumes that grow underground but are eaten like nuts
Example: We shared a bowl of salted peanuts while we waited for dinner.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Cacahuetes / maní🇫🇷 French: Cacahuètes
🇩🇪 German: Erdnüsse
🇮🇹 Italian: Arachidi
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Amendoins
💡 Nuance: Peanuts are legumes, not tree nuts, but everyday English groups them with nuts because of how they are eaten and sold. Groundnut is another English name used in some regions.
🏷️ Same Nut, Second Name
🟢 Pistachio Nuts
a longer name for pistachios
Example: The package said pistachio nuts, but the recipe simply called them pistachios.
🇫🇷 French: Pistaches
🇩🇪 German: Pistazien
🇮🇹 Italian: Pistacchi
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Pistácios
💡 Nuance: Adding the word nuts does not change the meaning. This is simply a longer label for the same food.
a longer name for pistachios
Example: The package said pistachio nuts, but the recipe simply called them pistachios.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Pistachos🇫🇷 French: Pistaches
🇩🇪 German: Pistazien
🇮🇹 Italian: Pistacchi
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Pistácios
💡 Nuance: Adding the word nuts does not change the meaning. This is simply a longer label for the same food.
🇬🇧 English Walnuts
the common walnut variety usually sold simply as walnuts
Example: Most supermarket walnuts are English walnuts rather than black walnuts.
🇫🇷 French: Noix communes
🇩🇪 German: Echte Walnüsse
🇮🇹 Italian: Noci comuni
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Nozes comuns
💡 Nuance: English walnuts are also known as Persian walnuts. In ordinary recipes, however, the simple word walnuts is usually enough.
the common walnut variety usually sold simply as walnuts
Example: Most supermarket walnuts are English walnuts rather than black walnuts.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Nueces inglesas / comunes🇫🇷 French: Noix communes
🇩🇪 German: Echte Walnüsse
🇮🇹 Italian: Noci comuni
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Nozes comuns
💡 Nuance: English walnuts are also known as Persian walnuts. In ordinary recipes, however, the simple word walnuts is usually enough.
🍂 Filberts
another English name used for hazelnuts
Example: A farm stand advertised Oregon filberts, which I knew as hazelnuts.
🇫🇷 French: Noisettes
🇩🇪 German: Lambertsnüsse
🇮🇹 Italian: Nocciole
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Avelãs
💡 Nuance: For everyday vocabulary, treat filbert as an alternative name connected with hazelnuts. Hazelnut is generally the more immediately recognizable word.
another English name used for hazelnuts
Example: A farm stand advertised Oregon filberts, which I knew as hazelnuts.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Avellanas🇫🇷 French: Noisettes
🇩🇪 German: Lambertsnüsse
🇮🇹 Italian: Nocciole
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Avelãs
💡 Nuance: For everyday vocabulary, treat filbert as an alternative name connected with hazelnuts. Hazelnut is generally the more immediately recognizable word.
🇮🇹 Pignoli
an Italian-derived food word for pine nuts
Example: Pignoli cookies are traditionally topped with pine nuts.
🇫🇷 French: Pignons
🇩🇪 German: Pinienkerne
🇮🇹 Italian: Pinoli
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Pinhões
💡 Nuance: If you see pignoli cookies in an Italian-American bakery, the unfamiliar word tells you that pine nuts are an important ingredient.
an Italian-derived food word for pine nuts
Example: Pignoli cookies are traditionally topped with pine nuts.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Piñones🇫🇷 French: Pignons
🇩🇪 German: Pinienkerne
🇮🇹 Italian: Pinoli
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Pinhões
💡 Nuance: If you see pignoli cookies in an Italian-American bakery, the unfamiliar word tells you that pine nuts are an important ingredient.
🇪🇸 Marcona Almonds
a Spanish almond variety that is shorter and rounder than many common almonds
Example: The café served salted Marcona almonds with our drinks.
🇫🇷 French: Amandes Marcona
🇩🇪 German: Marcona-Mandeln
🇮🇹 Italian: Mandorle Marcona
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Amêndoas Marcona
💡 Nuance: Marcona names a variety of almond, not a different kind of nut. English food labels often put the variety name before the general food name.
a Spanish almond variety that is shorter and rounder than many common almonds
Example: The café served salted Marcona almonds with our drinks.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Almendras Marcona🇫🇷 French: Amandes Marcona
🇩🇪 German: Marcona-Mandeln
🇮🇹 Italian: Mandorle Marcona
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Amêndoas Marcona
💡 Nuance: Marcona names a variety of almond, not a different kind of nut. English food labels often put the variety name before the general food name.
🌳 Walnut Family & Foraged
🖤 Black Walnuts
North American walnuts with a strong, earthy flavor and a hard shell
Example: Black walnut ice cream has a noticeably stronger flavor than ordinary walnut ice cream.
🇫🇷 French: Noix noires
🇩🇪 German: Schwarznüsse
🇮🇹 Italian: Noci nere
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Nozes-pretas
💡 Nuance: Instead of saying a flavor is “louder,” natural English uses words such as stronger, more intense, earthier, or bolder.
North American walnuts with a strong, earthy flavor and a hard shell
Example: Black walnut ice cream has a noticeably stronger flavor than ordinary walnut ice cream.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Nueces negras🇫🇷 French: Noix noires
🇩🇪 German: Schwarznüsse
🇮🇹 Italian: Noci nere
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Nozes-pretas
💡 Nuance: Instead of saying a flavor is “louder,” natural English uses words such as stronger, more intense, earthier, or bolder.
🪵 Hickory Nuts
hard-shelled nuts from hickory trees, related to pecans
Example: They collected hickory nuts in the fall and cracked them at home.
🇫🇷 French: Noix de caryer
🇩🇪 German: Hickorynüsse
🇮🇹 Italian: Noci hickory
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Nozes de hickory
💡 Nuance: To crack a nut means to break its hard outer shell. Hickory nuts are less common commercially partly because extracting the edible kernel can require more work.
hard-shelled nuts from hickory trees, related to pecans
Example: They collected hickory nuts in the fall and cracked them at home.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Nueces de hicoria🇫🇷 French: Noix de caryer
🇩🇪 German: Hickorynüsse
🇮🇹 Italian: Noci hickory
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Nozes de hickory
💡 Nuance: To crack a nut means to break its hard outer shell. Hickory nuts are less common commercially partly because extracting the edible kernel can require more work.
🧈 Butternuts
walnut-family nuts also known as white walnuts
Example: The old tree in the yard produced butternuts every autumn.
🇫🇷 French: Noyers cendrés
🇩🇪 German: Butternüsse
🇮🇹 Italian: Noci butternut
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Nozes-butternut
💡 Nuance: Do not confuse butternut with butternut squash. The same first word appears in two different food names, so context matters.
walnut-family nuts also known as white walnuts
Example: The old tree in the yard produced butternuts every autumn.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Nueces blancas / butternuts🇫🇷 French: Noyers cendrés
🇩🇪 German: Butternüsse
🇮🇹 Italian: Noci butternut
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Nozes-butternut
💡 Nuance: Do not confuse butternut with butternut squash. The same first word appears in two different food names, so context matters.
🍂 Beechnuts
small triangular nuts produced by beech trees
Example: We found beechnuts scattered across the forest floor.
🇫🇷 French: Faines
🇩🇪 German: Bucheckern
🇮🇹 Italian: Faggiole
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Bolotas de faia
💡 Nuance: Beechnuts are more likely to appear in discussions of foraging than in an ordinary supermarket. Foraging means gathering edible wild foods.
small triangular nuts produced by beech trees
Example: We found beechnuts scattered across the forest floor.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Hayucos🇫🇷 French: Faines
🇩🇪 German: Bucheckern
🇮🇹 Italian: Faggiole
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Bolotas de faia
💡 Nuance: Beechnuts are more likely to appear in discussions of foraging than in an ordinary supermarket. Foraging means gathering edible wild foods.
🌰 Chestnuts
starchy nuts commonly roasted, boiled, or used in stuffing and desserts
Example: Vendors were selling roasted chestnuts on the street in winter.
🇫🇷 French: Châtaignes / marrons
🇩🇪 German: Maronen / Kastanien
🇮🇹 Italian: Castagne
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Castanhas
💡 Nuance: Chestnuts are noticeably more starchy and less oily than walnuts or pecans. Be careful with the name horse chestnut, which does not refer to the same familiar food nut.
starchy nuts commonly roasted, boiled, or used in stuffing and desserts
Example: Vendors were selling roasted chestnuts on the street in winter.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Castañas🇫🇷 French: Châtaignes / marrons
🇩🇪 German: Maronen / Kastanien
🇮🇹 Italian: Castagne
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Castanhas
💡 Nuance: Chestnuts are noticeably more starchy and less oily than walnuts or pecans. Be careful with the name horse chestnut, which does not refer to the same familiar food nut.
🌳 Acorns
nuts produced by oak trees
Example: The recipe used acorn flour rather than whole raw acorns.
🇫🇷 French: Glands
🇩🇪 German: Eicheln
🇮🇹 Italian: Ghiande
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Bolotas
💡 Nuance: The source lesson distinguishes acorns from ordinary snack nuts because their tannins traditionally need to be removed through processing. Leach means to remove a soluble substance by repeatedly washing or soaking it.
nuts produced by oak trees
Example: The recipe used acorn flour rather than whole raw acorns.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Bellotas🇫🇷 French: Glands
🇩🇪 German: Eicheln
🇮🇹 Italian: Ghiande
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Bolotas
💡 Nuance: The source lesson distinguishes acorns from ordinary snack nuts because their tannins traditionally need to be removed through processing. Leach means to remove a soluble substance by repeatedly washing or soaking it.
🌴 Tropical, Ritual & Lookalikes
🕯️ Candlenuts
oily nuts used as an ingredient and thickener in parts of Southeast Asian cooking
Example: The recipe called for candlenuts to be ground into the spice paste.
🇫🇷 French: Noix de Bancoul
🇩🇪 German: Lichtnüsse
🇮🇹 Italian: Noci candela
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Nozes-de-candeeiro
💡 Nuance: Candlenuts are a cooking ingredient rather than the kind of nut normally eaten by the handful. In Hawaii, the same tree is associated with the name kukui.
oily nuts used as an ingredient and thickener in parts of Southeast Asian cooking
Example: The recipe called for candlenuts to be ground into the spice paste.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Nueces de la India / kemiri🇫🇷 French: Noix de Bancoul
🇩🇪 German: Lichtnüsse
🇮🇹 Italian: Noci candela
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Nozes-de-candeeiro
💡 Nuance: Candlenuts are a cooking ingredient rather than the kind of nut normally eaten by the handful. In Hawaii, the same tree is associated with the name kukui.
🌺 Kukui Nuts
the Hawaiian name associated with candlenuts and the candlenut tree
Example: The guide showed us a traditional kukui-nut lei.
🇫🇷 French: Noix kukui
🇩🇪 German: Kukui-Nüsse
🇮🇹 Italian: Noci kukui
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Nozes kukui
💡 Nuance: The same plant can acquire different familiar names in different cultural contexts. Kukui is strongly associated with Hawaii; candlenut is the broader English food term used elsewhere.
the Hawaiian name associated with candlenuts and the candlenut tree
Example: The guide showed us a traditional kukui-nut lei.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Nueces kukui🇫🇷 French: Noix kukui
🇩🇪 German: Kukui-Nüsse
🇮🇹 Italian: Noci kukui
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Nozes kukui
💡 Nuance: The same plant can acquire different familiar names in different cultural contexts. Kukui is strongly associated with Hawaii; candlenut is the broader English food term used elsewhere.
🇵🇭 Pili Nuts
rich, buttery nuts associated especially with the Philippines
Example: I bought roasted pili nuts at a specialty food shop.
🇫🇷 French: Noix pili
🇩🇪 German: Pili-Nüsse
🇮🇹 Italian: Noci pili
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Nozes pili
💡 Nuance: Pili nuts are less familiar internationally than almonds or cashews. Specialty food is a useful phrase for something uncommon, regional, imported, or sold by specialist retailers.
rich, buttery nuts associated especially with the Philippines
Example: I bought roasted pili nuts at a specialty food shop.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Nueces pili🇫🇷 French: Noix pili
🇩🇪 German: Pili-Nüsse
🇮🇹 Italian: Noci pili
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Nozes pili
💡 Nuance: Pili nuts are less familiar internationally than almonds or cashews. Specialty food is a useful phrase for something uncommon, regional, imported, or sold by specialist retailers.
🍞 Breadnut
a seeded relative of breadfruit with starchy edible seeds
Example: The breadnut seeds were boiled until tender.
🇫🇷 French: Châtaigne pain
🇩🇪 German: Brotnuss
🇮🇹 Italian: Breadnut
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Castanha de fruta-pão
💡 Nuance: Do not interpret compound food names too literally. Breadnut is not bread plus a nut; it is the established name of a particular food plant related to breadfruit.
a seeded relative of breadfruit with starchy edible seeds
Example: The breadnut seeds were boiled until tender.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Semilla de fruta de pan🇫🇷 French: Châtaigne pain
🇩🇪 German: Brotnuss
🇮🇹 Italian: Breadnut
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Castanha de fruta-pão
💡 Nuance: Do not interpret compound food names too literally. Breadnut is not bread plus a nut; it is the established name of a particular food plant related to breadfruit.
🇧🇷 Baru Nuts
edible Brazilian tree seeds with a flavor compared with peanuts and cashews
Example: Baru nuts are beginning to appear in specialty snack mixes.
🇫🇷 French: Noix baru
🇩🇪 German: Baru-Nüsse
🇮🇹 Italian: Noci baru
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Castanhas de baru
💡 Nuance: Baru nut and Brazil nut are different foods. When two names share a country or place association, do not assume they are synonyms.
edible Brazilian tree seeds with a flavor compared with peanuts and cashews
Example: Baru nuts are beginning to appear in specialty snack mixes.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Nueces baru🇫🇷 French: Noix baru
🇩🇪 German: Baru-Nüsse
🇮🇹 Italian: Noci baru
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Castanhas de baru
💡 Nuance: Baru nut and Brazil nut are different foods. When two names share a country or place association, do not assume they are synonyms.
🌳 Paradise Nuts
less common Amazonian seeds related to Brazil nuts
Example: I had never heard of paradise nuts until I saw them in a specialty-food catalog.
🇫🇷 French: Noix du paradis
🇩🇪 German: Paradiesnüsse
🇮🇹 Italian: Noci del paradiso
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Castanhas-do-paraíso
💡 Nuance: The lesson uses paradise nut as a separate name, not as another name for Brazil nuts. For unfamiliar foods, useful questions include: “What does it taste like?” and “How is it normally eaten?”
less common Amazonian seeds related to Brazil nuts
Example: I had never heard of paradise nuts until I saw them in a specialty-food catalog.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Nueces del paraíso🇫🇷 French: Noix du paradis
🇩🇪 German: Paradiesnüsse
🇮🇹 Italian: Noci del paradiso
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Castanhas-do-paraíso
💡 Nuance: The lesson uses paradise nut as a separate name, not as another name for Brazil nuts. For unfamiliar foods, useful questions include: “What does it taste like?” and “How is it normally eaten?”
🟠 Areca Nuts
seeds of the areca palm, traditionally chewed in some regions
Example: Areca nut belongs to a different cultural tradition from ordinary baking nuts.
🇫🇷 French: Noix d’arec
🇩🇪 German: Betelnüsse
🇮🇹 Italian: Noci di areca
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Nozes de areca
💡 Nuance: Areca nut is also commonly encountered under the name betel nut. In vocabulary terms, it should not be confused with familiar culinary nuts used in cookies, pesto, or snack mixes.
seeds of the areca palm, traditionally chewed in some regions
Example: Areca nut belongs to a different cultural tradition from ordinary baking nuts.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Nuez de areca🇫🇷 French: Noix d’arec
🇩🇪 German: Betelnüsse
🇮🇹 Italian: Noci di areca
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Nozes de areca
💡 Nuance: Areca nut is also commonly encountered under the name betel nut. In vocabulary terms, it should not be confused with familiar culinary nuts used in cookies, pesto, or snack mixes.
🟡 Tiger Nuts
small, wrinkled edible tubers known as chufa
Example: Traditional Valencian horchata is made from tiger nuts.
🇫🇷 French: Souchet / chufas
🇩🇪 German: Erdmandeln
🇮🇹 Italian: Zigoli dolci
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Juncinha / chufas
💡 Nuance: Despite the word nut in the name, tiger nuts are tubers. Despite its name is a useful expression when a word creates a misleading first impression.
small, wrinkled edible tubers known as chufa
Example: Traditional Valencian horchata is made from tiger nuts.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Chufas🇫🇷 French: Souchet / chufas
🇩🇪 German: Erdmandeln
🇮🇹 Italian: Zigoli dolci
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Juncinha / chufas
💡 Nuance: Despite the word nut in the name, tiger nuts are tubers. Despite its name is a useful expression when a word creates a misleading first impression.
🍃 Ginkgo Nuts
starchy ginkgo seeds used cooked in some East Asian dishes
Example: The dish contained a few cooked ginkgo nuts among the other ingredients.
🇫🇷 French: Noix de ginkgo
🇩🇪 German: Ginkgonüsse
🇮🇹 Italian: Noci di ginkgo
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Nozes de ginkgo
💡 Nuance: The source lesson presents ginkgo nuts as a cooked ingredient used in small amounts rather than an everyday handful snack like almonds or peanuts.
starchy ginkgo seeds used cooked in some East Asian dishes
Example: The dish contained a few cooked ginkgo nuts among the other ingredients.
Show translations
🇪🇸 Spanish: Nueces de ginkgo🇫🇷 French: Noix de ginkgo
🇩🇪 German: Ginkgonüsse
🇮🇹 Italian: Noci di ginkgo
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Nozes de ginkgo
💡 Nuance: The source lesson presents ginkgo nuts as a cooked ingredient used in small amounts rather than an everyday handful snack like almonds or peanuts.
🧠 Useful Distinctions
🥜 Peanuts vs. tree nuts
Peanuts are legumes that grow underground. Almonds, walnuts, pecans, pistachios, and similar foods are grouped as tree nuts in everyday food vocabulary. The important lesson is that grocery categories and botanical categories are not always identical.
Peanuts are legumes that grow underground. Almonds, walnuts, pecans, pistachios, and similar foods are grouped as tree nuts in everyday food vocabulary. The important lesson is that grocery categories and botanical categories are not always identical.
🧠 Walnuts vs. 🇬🇧 English walnuts vs. 🖤 Black walnuts vs. 🧈 Butternuts
When a recipe simply says walnuts, it usually means English or Persian walnuts. Black walnuts have a much stronger flavor. Butternuts, also called white walnuts, are another member of the walnut family.
When a recipe simply says walnuts, it usually means English or Persian walnuts. Black walnuts have a much stronger flavor. Butternuts, also called white walnuts, are another member of the walnut family.
🌰 Hazelnuts vs. 🍂 Filberts
These names overlap in ordinary food English. Hazelnut is the more familiar general word, while filbert may appear in regional or agricultural contexts.
These names overlap in ordinary food English. Hazelnut is the more familiar general word, while filbert may appear in regional or agricultural contexts.
🌲 Pine nuts vs. 🇮🇹 Pignoli
These refer to the same basic ingredient. Pine nuts is the everyday English name. Pignoli is especially familiar from Italian and Italian-American baking, as in pignoli cookies.
These refer to the same basic ingredient. Pine nuts is the everyday English name. Pignoli is especially familiar from Italian and Italian-American baking, as in pignoli cookies.
🤍 Almonds vs. 🇪🇸 Marcona almonds
Marcona is a particular Spanish almond variety. It is still an almond, just as a named apple variety is still an apple.
Marcona is a particular Spanish almond variety. It is still an almond, just as a named apple variety is still an apple.
🟢 Pistachios vs. Pistachio nuts
These are two labels for the same food. The word nuts is optional when the meaning is already clear.
These are two labels for the same food. The word nuts is optional when the meaning is already clear.
🕯️ Candlenuts vs. 🌺 Kukui
The names refer to the same tree in different linguistic and cultural contexts. Candlenut appears as a cooking term, while kukui is strongly associated with Hawaii.
The names refer to the same tree in different linguistic and cultural contexts. Candlenut appears as a cooking term, while kukui is strongly associated with Hawaii.
🌰 Chestnuts vs. 🌳 Acorns vs. 🟡 Tiger nuts
Chestnuts are familiar starchy food nuts commonly roasted. Acorns are oak nuts that traditionally require processing to reduce tannins. Tiger nuts are not botanical nuts at all; they are tubers.
Chestnuts are familiar starchy food nuts commonly roasted. Acorns are oak nuts that traditionally require processing to reduce tannins. Tiger nuts are not botanical nuts at all; they are tubers.
💬 Everyday Nut Phrases
🥜 Peanuts are legumes, even though we usually group them with nuts.
everyday category vs. scientific category
🇫🇷 Les cacahuètes sont des légumineuses, même si on les classe généralement avec les noix.
🇩🇪 Erdnüsse sind Hülsenfrüchte, obwohl wir sie normalerweise zu den Nüssen zählen.
🇮🇹 Le arachidi sono legumi, anche se normalmente le raggruppiamo con la frutta secca.
🇵🇹 Os amendoins são leguminosas, embora normalmente os agrupemos com os frutos secos.
everyday category vs. scientific category
Show translations
🇪🇸 Los cacahuetes son legumbres, aunque normalmente los agrupamos con los frutos secos.🇫🇷 Les cacahuètes sont des légumineuses, même si on les classe généralement avec les noix.
🇩🇪 Erdnüsse sind Hülsenfrüchte, obwohl wir sie normalerweise zu den Nüssen zählen.
🇮🇹 Le arachidi sono legumi, anche se normalmente le raggruppiamo con la frutta secca.
🇵🇹 Os amendoins são leguminosas, embora normalmente os agrupemos com os frutos secos.
🌲 Pignoli is another name you may see for pine nuts.
recognizing an unfamiliar food label
🇫🇷 Pignoli est un autre nom que l’on peut rencontrer pour les pignons.
🇩🇪 Pignoli ist eine weitere Bezeichnung, die man für Pinienkerne sehen kann.
🇮🇹 Pignoli è un altro nome che si può trovare per i pinoli.
🇵🇹 Pignoli é outro nome que se pode encontrar para pinhões.
recognizing an unfamiliar food label
Show translations
🇪🇸 Pignoli es otro nombre que puedes encontrar para los piñones.🇫🇷 Pignoli est un autre nom que l’on peut rencontrer pour les pignons.
🇩🇪 Pignoli ist eine weitere Bezeichnung, die man für Pinienkerne sehen kann.
🇮🇹 Pignoli è un altro nome che si può trovare per i pinoli.
🇵🇹 Pignoli é outro nome que se pode encontrar para pinhões.
🖤 Black walnuts have a stronger flavor than ordinary walnuts.
comparing intensity of flavor
🇫🇷 Les noix noires ont un goût plus prononcé que les noix communes.
🇩🇪 Schwarznüsse haben einen kräftigeren Geschmack als gewöhnliche Walnüsse.
🇮🇹 Le noci nere hanno un sapore più intenso delle noci comuni.
🇵🇹 As nozes-pretas têm um sabor mais forte do que as nozes comuns.
comparing intensity of flavor
Show translations
🇪🇸 Las nueces negras tienen un sabor más fuerte que las nueces comunes.🇫🇷 Les noix noires ont un goût plus prononcé que les noix communes.
🇩🇪 Schwarznüsse haben einen kräftigeren Geschmack als gewöhnliche Walnüsse.
🇮🇹 Le noci nere hanno un sapore più intenso delle noci comuni.
🇵🇹 As nozes-pretas têm um sabor mais forte do que as nozes comuns.
🟡 Despite their name, tiger nuts are actually tubers.
correcting a misleading name
🇫🇷 Malgré leur nom, les souchets sont en réalité des tubercules.
🇩🇪 Trotz ihres Namens sind Erdmandeln eigentlich Knollen.
🇮🇹 Nonostante il nome, le tiger nuts sono in realtà tuberi.
🇵🇹 Apesar do nome, as chufas são na verdade tubérculos.
correcting a misleading name
Show translations
🇪🇸 A pesar de su nombre, las chufas son en realidad tubérculos.🇫🇷 Malgré leur nom, les souchets sont en réalité des tubercules.
🇩🇪 Trotz ihres Namens sind Erdmandeln eigentlich Knollen.
🇮🇹 Nonostante il nome, le tiger nuts sono in realtà tuberi.
🇵🇹 Apesar do nome, as chufas são na verdade tubérculos.
🏆 Final Practice
English in the Real World:
Imagine you are reading a recipe, shopping for snacks, or looking at a bakery label. Choose the nut word that best fits each situation.
Imagine you are reading a recipe, shopping for snacks, or looking at a bakery label. Choose the nut word that best fits each situation.
Question 1 of 8
✅ Correct: 0
❓ Questions: 0
🎯 Accuracy: 0%