# Rank the nuts!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-nuts/768325>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [October 12, 2016, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-nuts/768325 "2016-10-12T13:15:05Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\
**Post date:** [October 12, 2016, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-nuts/768325/21 "2016-10-12T22:35:55Z")

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> [@iiandyiiii](#):
>
> Boo. Booooo! Peanuts are nuts for the purposes of this thread (and for about 99% of conversations in English about nuts and peanuts).

Whooooosh!!!

But the interesting thing is, all of the following are “technically not nuts” (taken from wikipedia):

**Almonds** are the edible seeds of drupe fruits — the leathery “flesh” is removed at harvest.  
**Brazil nut** is the seed from a capsule.  
**Candlenut** (used for oil) is a seed.  
**Cashew** is the seed[4] of an accessory fruit.  
**Chilean hazelnut** or Gevuina  
**Macadamia** is a creamy white kernel of a follicle type fruit.  
**Malabar chestnut**  
**Pecan** is the seed of a drupe fruit  
**Mongongo**  
**Peanut** is a seed and from a legume type fruit (of the family Fabaceae).  
**Pine nut** is the seed of several species of pine (coniferous trees).  
**Pistachio** is the partly dehiscent seed of a thin-shelled drupe.  
**Walnut** (Juglans) is the seed of a drupe fruit  
**Yeheb nut** is the seed of a desert bush, Cordeauxia edulis

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**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\
**Post date:** [October 12, 2016, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-nuts/768325/22 "2016-10-12T23:43:59Z")

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I think we’ve had this thread before, but apparently I’m weird for putting cashews right at the bottom of my list, near peanuts. I really don’t like them that much, they taste bland to me. I like pecans and I’ve never lived in the South and macadamia and I’ve never been to Hawaii. Chestnuts are a rare seasonal treat and I actually like the water chestnuts in Chinese food. I’m not sure if I’ve had the other type of water chestnut, but I’m intrigued as the [look like little Satans](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_caltrop), or at least the guy from Legend.

The only true nuts that people eat regularly are hazelnuts (filbert) and chestnuts.

> [@John\_Mace](#):
>
> **Cashew** is the seed[4] of an accessory fruit.

Here’s a picture of the weird fruit. You can use it to eat or [make liquor](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feni_(liquor)).

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**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\
**Post date:** [October 13, 2016, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-nuts/768325/23 "2016-10-13T00:07:11Z")

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I can’t rank nuts because I like them all. Some are better in one thing, some in another.

I will admit black walnuts are a bit strong, but I love them too. My family has an heirloom candy recipe that has chopped black walnuts in it, along with corn syrup, sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla.

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