Image copyright Terri Millett Image caption Easily one of the nutritionally best nuts you can buy, cashews are available in varying sizes
If you’re looking for the nut to tempt your taste buds and your healthy conscience, you’ve come to the right place.
A taste test by Food Info has found cashews to be one of the most “impressive” nut options.
We tested 32 different products in supermarkets and specialty shops, and have come up with a list of our top 10 must-have nut lovers.
The main two ingredients in cashews are whey powder and blanco de bellota. Milled, blanco de bellota is made from kernels and roasted, and is highly saturated in saturated fat, also known as bad fat. Whey is sugar alcohol with good protein, fibre and vitamins.
Traditional hawaiian versions of cashews are roasted for up to 25 minutes before being rolled in a rice paper, which is a time-honoured way of making more nutritious nuts.
Though Roasted Nut Factory’s cashews are roasted to an even more specific level, the meaty nuts in their eponymous product have no animal by-product.
The blend of coconut oil, organic cocoa powder, spearmint and lemon peel is a combination most of us are likely to be familiar with.
And with fresh, creamy flavour, the nutty cashews are sublime.
Image copyright Food Info Image caption Roasted Nut Factory nuts are made with organic, palm, coconut and coconut oil
Another nut you’ll probably find most in your cupboard is pistachios.
With roots in the Egyptian diets and a reputation for packing a hefty performance, pistachios can sustain you for a few hours. They have a key role in the Greek diet, and often form the basis of a Greek salad.
They’re hand-cranked to the highest quality, meaning they’re at their freshest when they hit the shelves.
In its August edition, HealthEngine praised the Nutricia Splendida Collection of Israeli pistachios for looking like they’d been battered at home. Though a teaspoon of ground pistachios in the kitchen isn’t uncommon.
Image copyright Food Info Image caption Flavours range from pomegranate to maple and cinnamon
Image copyright Food Info Image caption When they hit the shelves at your local supermarket they’re usually sweetened with cinnamon and cane sugar
But they’re also made with organic, palm, coconut and coconut oil, so the your health and the tasty factor of pistachios just go hand in hand.
The Racines Goldthorp Roll is simply described as “supergourmet pistachios” on their website.
These wild-harvested pistachios, made with passion fruit and jalapeno juice, are charred in the oven for up to four hours to give the nuts a subtle, savoury and sharp flavour. It’s great if you’re looking for texture.
Image copyright Food Info Image caption It’s all about the texture with this retro roll made of roasted pistachios
Image copyright Food Info Image caption We tried them in Paris to see if the indulgent combo lived up to expectations Image copyright Food Info Image caption Another addition to the prestige nut category is the Emblay Greenway Roll of organic king pistachios and green chives Image copyright Food Info Image caption But can the rich flavours withstand the heat of a frying pan? We’ll find out
As the chocolate aisle, you’ll probably find your way to truffles made with organic King Arthur truffles.
Though the familiar flavours of chocolate are there, it’s the natural sugar the truffles come with that makes them uniquely un-coffee-flavoured.
But make sure you make a stop at Delicatessen’s Spanish pomegranate yerba mate truffles.
This punchy flavourful truffle has a golden colour and bursts with pomegranate seeds and has just a touch of green tea extract. A good compromise between sweet and savoury.
Image copyright Food Info Image caption Delicatessen’s Spanish pomegranate yerba mate truffles are delicious with a touch of tea extract Image copyright Food Info Image caption The flavours are a balance between sweet and savoury Image copyright Food Info Image caption These fancy truffles from Delicatessen are beautifully burnt but
