The pistachio was almost unknown by western cultures before the 1980’s, when it was introduced into the European market as a highly valued product both as an ingredient and snack.
This culinary nut is originally from the Far East. It was especially favoured by the monarchic dynasties and legend says it was Queen Saba’s favourite nut.
The almond tree, found in Mediterranean culture, is a simple and beautiful tree. The earliest leaf and fruit fossils proceeding from almond trees date back to the Miocene, in the Tertiary era. The first data of its cultivation seems to come from zones of present day Syria and its name is believed to come from the word “amigdala” which means “pretty tree”.
The Phoenicians and the Romans introduced the almond to the Iberian Peninsula.
Its incursion in California dates back to 16th century and in the 19th century it was introduced in Australia and South Africa.
Hazelnut fruit was greatly appreciated by the early Asian and European cultures thanks to its high nutritive value and pleasant flavour. Various forms of “Corylus” fossils have been found, the earliest dating back to the Tertiary age. During 8000-5500 BC hazelnuts were dominant in different parts of Europe. In 400 BC Genofonte spoke of a fruit called a “Pontus Nut” located in the area of Anatolia, and there is evidence that hazelnuts were brought into Italy and Spain from a place called “Pontus Eximus” (The Black Sea, Turkey).
It is thought that the peanut originates from Brazil or Peru. There is no fossil evidence to confirm this but peanut shaped porcelain jars have been found decorated with its motif. Its cultivation reached the north of Mexico. Spanish colonizers introduced the seeds in Spain, where there is still a small production. Soon, the production shifted to Africa and Asia and it is thought that African slaves took it to North America, spreading its consumption. Extensive peanut farming began at the start of the 20th century.
Sunflowers (Helliantus Annuus) are thought to originate from North America. The oldest fossils date back to 3000 BC. Many archaeologists believe that sunflowers were domesticated before corn. Native American tribes farmed it in present day Arizona and Mexico where they cultivated it for food. In the 16th century, Spanish conquerors brought the product with them back to Spain and the rest of Europe. It was a popular crop during the 18th century. After the prohibition of a lot of oils and fats by the orthodox church, its farming developed rapidly in Eastern Europe.
Popped corn kernels where introduced at the start of the 16th century. Used in Aztec ceremonies, Bernardino of Sahagun wrote that women danced a corn dance with popcorn garlands. In 1419 Hernan Cortés first came into contact with popcorn when he arrived in Mexico and he met the Aztecs who used popcorn as an ornament as well as a primary source of food. They even erected a monument for Tlaloc, their god of corn, rain and fertility.
In recent history, during the Great Depression in the United States, corn consumption, which was highly valued, sky-rocketed and more so during the second world war since sugar production was destined for the troops. Children had to find an alternative to sweets and discovered popcorn. Since the 1950’s, popcorn has been the snack of choice in cinemas, and was prepared at home in microwaves, microwaveable popcorn appeared in the US around 1940.
This product appeared in Spain as a consequence of mingling with the Arabic culture, creating the “half cast” chickpea. Currently, it mainly comes from Turkey. Flavoured or with a “Bomby” type casing, it is traditionally used mixed with other nuts.
Figs originate from Anatolia (2000- 3000 BC) from where it was distributed throughout the Mediterranean. Currently, its main origin is Turkey with cultivations also in Spain. Thanks to its nutritive properties it is a characteristic ingredient in the Mediterranean diet and is traditionally eaten during the Christmas festivities.
This product, traditional in Spain and popularly known as “Quicos”, has been gaining popularity thanks to Spanish processors producing a high quality product in recent years.
It is exported all over the world due to its flavour, texture and competitive price.
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Presently, dried grapes, or raisins are produced in many different locations; China, India, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Greece, Spain, California, Chile, Argentina, and South Africa. They appear throughout history from the beginnings of of civilization. The early Phoenicians and Egyptians were responsible for its widespread importation thanks to its easy storing and transportation. Raisins travelled with Christopher Columbus, helped Robert E. Perly reach the North Pole in 1908 and accompanied the astronaut Scout in space in 1962.
Dried apricots or “Orejón” (Rosaceae family) come from the Asiatic regions of the Caspian Sea, The Black Sea, Turkey, Iran, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and China.
Fresh apricots are between yellow and dark orange in colour, they are a juicy fruit with a delicious, smooth taste and a high water content but low sugar level.
Dried apricots, are a type of fruit that has been dehydrated, it is sold whole, diced or halved, sun dried or mechanically dried to a humidity of about 22%.
Walnuts are fruits of the walnut tree. The etymology of its name comes from the Latin “nuca lis”, which at the same time derives from “nux” (walnut).
The largest area of walnut production is between 35°-45°N latitude.
Its origin is uncertain although there are various hypotheses. The most likely of which points to Central Asia, in areas close to the present day Iran. It is believed that from there it arrived in Greece at the hands of Alexander the Great (300 BC) later to go on to the rest of Europe and America. Another hypothesis places the origin of walnuts in Europe, as demonstrated by the existence of 5000 year-old pollen coming from trees that survived the last glaciation.
It is mostly produced in China and California (United States). More recently there is an increasingly significant production in Spain.
Pumpkin seeds were an important part of the native American’s diet. They were introduced in Europe through Spanish colonization.
Presently their production has expanded significantly throughout the North of China, Ukraine, Turkey and Bulgaria.
In its shelled form it is frequently used in the baking and pastry industry and can be found as a snack or in salads, with or without its shell.
The Mediterranean pine tree (Pinus Pinea) is one of the most characteristic features of the Mediterranean basin and has a greater or lesser presence in all of its composing countries. The pine nut from “P.Pinea” has a very different and superior quality to other edible pine nuts and has been valued for such since ancient times.
The natural sun drying process bestows it with a bouquet characteristic of Mediterranean haute cuisine.
The Iberic Peninsula has the greatest forests of this species and is one of the biggest world producers together with Turkey and Italy.
The so called pine nut lends its name to many types of pine nut. In the case of the Mediterranean pine nut there are a variety of different species of trees and bushes producing varied flavoured fruits.
The largest world production of “pine nuts” is the common pine nut and has several origins but the majority are from China and North Korea. Having the most similar properties are red pine nuts, Yunnen pine nuts and Stone pine nuts, all commonly known as “Chinese pine nuts”. Those originally from the Russian cedar tree or “Pinus sibirica” are very much the same size as the Mediterranean pine nut, which is known as Pakistani, and has a good aspect and its very own flavour.
The walnut tree has always been considered a mythical and mysterious tree. There are a great deal of legends, superstitions and witchcraft relating to this, but, in general, it is considered a divine and beneficial tree.
Spanish sayings have interesting quotes on the subject; “In the land of the dignified, almond tree or morello cherry tree. In the land of royalty, walnut tree and black mulberry tree.” or “For Saint Just or Saint Pastor walnuts are known for their flavour, lasses for their love and the elderly for their pain.”
The properties of the walnut are widely recognised, proven to be beneficial in the prevention of cardiovascular problems, crediting it to have gone from being eaten traditionally at Christmas time to essential daily consumption.
The palm tree is a magnificent plant that symbolizes majesty and prosperity, it was revered by Mediterranean religions in arid lands with palm trees.
Originally from African and Asian forests, it has acclimatized to deserts in Saudi Arabia, the Arab Emirates, Tunisia, Algiers, Iran, Egypt, Israel and much of the Middle East.
The sun, and the dry air mature its fruits, giving them their pleasant honey taste.
The cashew is a fruit with a long history although it was not an important tropical plantation until the last century. The first data on the cashew comes from Brazil on account of the Portuguese, Dutch and French discoverers. Currently the main cashew producers are in India, the Ivory Coast, Guinea-Bissau, Vietnam and Tanzania, with harvests in both hemispheres.
The Japanese appetizer or “Rice cracker” is a compressed rice biscuit that has slowly gained value in the international market. Mostly consumed in Asia, its main markets are Taiwan and Indonesia together with the entire area of Nippon influence.
Although this product is not in the same category as dried fruit, it is distributed along the same commercial lines and is an important complement in the appetizer sector.
The Brazilian nut is the largest nut. Its tree can grow up to more than 40 metres, and produces dark brown spherical fruits similar to coconuts, with a hard woody texture.
You can find it in the Amazon forests in Peru, Bolivia, Colombia, Venezuela, and Brazil.
During centuries, its fruit was essential for the indigenous tribes, raw or mixed with roots like “Leite de Castanha”.
The first European importers of this product were Dutch merchants at the start of the 17th century.
El secado de frutos a través de la historia es una de las técnicas más utilizadas para la conservación de los alimentos.
Tenemos referentes del secado de pasas en la época fenicia los frutos se se secaban al sol proceso que empleaban también para la conservación de , carnes y pescados, para conseguir una posibilidad de subsistencia en épocas de escasez de alimentos,
Esta técnica de conservación trata de preservar la calidad de los alimentos bajando la actividad de agua mediante la disminución del contenido de humedad, evitando así el deterioro y contaminación microbiológica de los mismos durante el almacenamiento.
Para ello se pueden utilizar varios métodos de deshidratación , tales como secado solar, aire caliente, atomizador , Por Bajas temperaturas etc. ..