Written for the Alameda Sun
Friday December 13, 2002

What is the oldest tree fruit known to humankind? Some folks would answer the fig referring to the story of creation in The Old Testament Garden of Eden where Adam & Eve discovered that they were naked and covered themselves with fig leaves. Other folks would answer the apple referring to the same story. The olive is another common answer with its history of cultivation dating as far back as 6000 BC. Pomegranates, dates & coconuts are all good guesses, but the sound of the buzzer rings short & loud.

From Greek Mythology to the Hanging Gardens of Babylon to the Roman Empire the nux (Latin for Fruit of the shell) or The Royal Nut of Jove better known today as the Walnut is in recorded history the oldest tree fruit known to humankind.

The earliest find was in Shanidar Cave in northern Iraq where unearthed walnut shells date back as far as 50,000 BC.

During the Neolithic period, about 8,000 BC beginning in Southeast Asia and over a period of 6,000 years eventually to Europe, in Perigord France petrified roasted walnut shells were found in many excavations. Where else but France would they be found cooked?
During medieval times Persian walnuts made their way to ports around the world by English merchant marines and in time became more commonly know as English walnuts. They ended up in California via Spanish Franciscan monks in the late 1700's. Today California provides 99% of commercial production for walnuts.

The holiday season is notorious for the use of walnuts in plenty of the goodies we all prepare and give as gifts, receive as gifts and gobble down! Walnuts appear in fudge and banana bread. They are coated with tons of butter and sugar and roasted, ground, chopped, added to cookies, muffins and pies. The list goes on. But, did you know that a "handful" of plain walnuts every day helps lower LDL cholesterol by 9 to 10%? And that eating walnuts as a regular part of one's diet helps diminish the extent of heart damage after a heart attack?

Walnuts contain polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids that lower cholesterol, and protect against heart disease and stroke.

Omega-3 keeps the blood less sticky and helps prevent dangerous clotting. It helps protect against certain cancers and relieves some of the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.

If you do not eat fish the best source of omega 3 then ¼ - ½ cup of walnuts daily is a good source.

Walnuts in a green or fruit salad are a great crunchy addition. Add ground walnuts to chicken or turkey salad for a nutty twist.
They go great with cubed cooked butternut squash tossed in a tablespoon of olive oil with dried cherries or cranberries.

Additional nutrition in walnuts include vitamin b6, vitamin E, Copper, Magnesium, potassium and phosphorus.

So this holiday season while you are preparing the annual treats don't feel guilty when you snack on a handful of walnuts, you're doing yourself a favor. Now just remember to keep a regular supply on hand for that daily intake the rest of the year.

Sources helpful to writing this article: The Walnut Cookbook By Jean-Luc Touissant, California Walnut Commission, The Packer, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

Fats that Heal, Fats that Kill—Dr. Udo Erasmus.

Persimmon Walnut Winter Salad

• 4 Fuyu Persimmons cubed
• 1 Bosc Pear cored, sliced and cubed
• 1 Comice Pear cored, sliced and cubed
• 1//2 cup halved Walnuts
• ¼ cup dried cranberries

Add yogurt, maple syrup or honey or just eat plain.