The yellow nuts of the ginkgo tree are encased in a cream-colored hard oval shell. The nuts are eaten roasted, fried, or boiled and contain nutrients and antioxidants.
Ginkgo nuts, or ginnan (銀杏・ぎんなん) in Japanese, are the nuts of the ginkgo tree, which is native to Asia. While they are toxic raw, they can be consumed in small amounts once cooked, as they can cause poisoning. They are in season between September and November. The Japanese eat ginkgo nuts in chawanmushi, cook with rice, add it to oden, soups, stews, stir-fries, or roast with salt.
Table of contents
What Are Ginkgo Nuts
Ginkgo nuts (Ginkgo biloba) are a fall ingredient eaten in East Asian cuisine and traditional medicine. Like pistachio, the flesh inside is encased in a hard shell. In addition to its culinary usage, it also contains medicinal properties.
The female trees produce the nuts, and it takes over twenty years for a tree to bear fruits. The raw nuts, like camembert cheese, have a pungent odor that can linger if you step on them, so watch out! You will see many of these urban trees with golden fan-shaped leaves around Japan, such as Gaien-mae, Showa Park, the Marunouchi district in Tokyo, and Komazawa Olympic Park.
What Do They Taste
Once cooked, they have a sweet and slightly nutty flavor, like chestnuts. The texture is soft, tender, and gummy.
How To Use
If you can find fresh ginkgo nuts, wear gloves when handling them. The pulp contains a compound that can cause severe dermatitis or blisters (similar to poison ivy).
To cook the nuts, you could toast them in a dry frying pan or wrapped in paper envelope and microwave until the shells crack. To remove the shell, hit gently with a hammer, rolling pin, or nutcracker. Peel the paper-thin membrane with your fingers or blanch for a few seconds.
You can also find shelled nuts in cans or vacuum-sealed packages year-round.
Recipes Using Ginkgo Nuts
Chawanmushi (Japanese Savory Steamed Custord)
Takikomi Gohan (Japanese Mixed Rice) — Add a handful of gingko nuts for extra boost of nutrient and texture!
Where To Buy
You can find canned and vacuumed-packed nuts at Asian, Chinese, and Japanese grocery stores. You may find fresh, unshelled nuts at some Chinese grocery stores when in season. Or, you could scavenge for the nuts. Pick those that have a clean and smooth shell.
Health Benefits
Do not consume large amounts of the nuts as it contains the neurotoxin ginkgo-toxin. The suggested amount is about five kernels per day for children and ten per day for adults. Overconsumption may cause stomachache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, convulsions, and sometimes death.
However, when consumed safely, it contains lots of health benefits. In traditional Chinese medicine, it’s used to relieve asthma and breathing problems, bronchitis, and urinary tract ailments.
The nuts are much lower in calories than others, such as walnuts and almonds. It contains small amounts of riboflavin, niacin, thiamin, pantothenic acid, vitamin B-6, and folates. It’s rich in copper, manganese, potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, and selenium.
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