Black walnut

Botanically name: Juglans nigra, family of Juglandaceae, black walnuts are a native of North America, particularly the central Mississippi valley and Appalachian area.

The Iroquois and Narragansett, Eastern Woodlands tribes that lived in New England, used crushed nutmeats and black walnut oil in cornbread and pudding. Nowadays black walnuts are a popular ingredient in candy and ice cream throughout the world. Black walnuts are also used as a flavoring in baked goods.

All walnut species, flower before the expansion of the leaves. Conspicuous catkins of male (staminate) flowers and small female (pistillate) flowers appear at the same time on the tree. They are followed by seed in the form of edible nuts enclosed in an outer husk.

Walnuts are an excellent source of copper and magnesium, and a good source of potassium, vitamin B6, folic acid and thiamine; a source of fiber, they also contain phosphorus, niacin, iron, riboflavin and pantothenic acid.

Black walnuts provide a high content of monounsaturated fat and arginine. Arginine is converted into nitric oxide, a chemical that allows the blood vessels to relax, remain smooth and prevent platelet aggregation.
Black walnut