The Anatomy of The African Walnut

I’ve always associated these walnuts with road trips since I was a child. Now, I see them on trays, little bags tied in cones, part black, part glistening. 

While in traffic a few weeks ago, I purchased a bag, tore it open and cracked a shell after ‘cleaning” it. It split in half, and I discovered for the first time a leaf at the centre. I call it a leaf for want of a better name…

It tastes no different from the whole nut – maybe a tad more delicate.

I imagined dressing small bites with it.

So, the anatomy

The Shell

Dark brown – black, inedible shell, a couple of centimetres diameter. Rough to the touch and easy to break by teeth… 

The Nut

Off-white to creamy. Reminds me of an acorn with a defined ‘bottom’. Sometimes, lightly covered in brown/ bronze fluff from the inside of the shell

Inside the nut

As I discovered, once the nut was broken in this perfect half, right down the centre lives a leaf of sorts

And that, ladies and gentlemen is really all there is to I know about the anatomy of the African black walnut.

Have you seen the ‘leaf’ below? Anything else to add? Share, share. Thank you.