Where do pine nuts come from? A detailed guide to the main producing regions in China and abroad

Pine nuts are the seeds of pine trees, commonly known as pine seeds. The kernels are plump and oily, with a distinctive resinous pine aroma. They can be eaten as a dried-fruit snack, used in cooking, or used as an ingredient in pastries. Because pine trees grow slowly and take a long time to bear cones, and harvesting and shelling the kernels is labor-intensive, pine nuts rank among the more premium categories of nuts.

Domestic pine nut production is mainly concentrated in two major regions: the Northeast and the Southwest. In the Northeast, the Heilongjiang and Jilin areas are best known for Korean pine nuts; those produced in the Changbai Mountains and the Lesser Khingan Range forests are large with full kernels and are the most common variety on the market. In the Southwest, Yunnan, Sichuan, Guizhou and the Qinling Mountains area of Shaanxi are rich in Armand pine nuts, whose grains are slightly smaller but have a rich aroma, and are likewise deeply loved by consumers.

There are also many pine nut producing regions abroad. The Russian Far East and the Korean Peninsula, which border Northeast China, also produce Korean pine nuts; along the Mediterranean coast, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Turkey mainly produce stone pine nuts, whose kernels are slender and often used in Western cuisine; the Himalayan region around Pakistan and Afghanistan, as well as the southwestern United States and Mexico, also each have their own representative pine nut varieties.

When choosing pine nuts, check whether the grains are plump and whether the shell color looks natural. If the kernels are yellowed or smell rancid, it means the oils have already oxidized and they are not recommended for purchase. Pine nuts are high in oil and easily lose their flavor after long storage, so after buying them it is best to keep them sealed and away from light; in hot weather they can be refrigerated to preserve their flavor longer.