Skip to content
  • Epic Quest
  • Contact Me!
  • About Me
Instagram YouTube Facebook
Menu

Writer. Traveler. Tea Drinker.

Writer. Traveler. Tea Drinker. Doing all three in China
Instagram YouTube Facebook
  • Epic Quest
  • Contact Me!
  • About Me
Hit enter to search or esc to close
Home  >  China • Chinese Culture • Chinese Food  >  Ginkgo Nuts
Posted inChina Chinese Culture Chinese Food

Ginkgo Nuts

Posted By Becky Ances Posted on April 23, 2010
Please install Travelera Share Buttons plugin


The other night we had the honor of being invited to a birthday celebration of a 6-year-old boy. The party, or banquet I should really call it, was held at a very fancy, very traditional Chinese restaurant. The setting was amazing, a private room complete with scroll artwork on the wall, traditional style chairs and a giant mahogany round table decorated with blown glass pieces and fresh flowers. The host told us the restaurant spent 1 million yuan on each private room and you could really tell.
The meal was amazing. Local fish, rare mushrooms (called cave ears), bamboo shoots, meat filled buns and even sushi. (This isn’t traditional of course but is gaining popularity here in China.) There was so much food I tried to eat only the unique items so I wouldn’t fill myself up with things I could get elsewhere. As the nuts kept circling by me on the lazy susan I kept passing them up. The looked kind of like pistachios, and I didn’t know what they were.
“Ginkgo nuts,” said our host holding up a few.
Ginkgo nuts?! I know about the ginkgo tree, and the ginkgo leaf, but nuts? I had to try it.
It turns out that ginkgo nuts are quite famous and popular in China. The ginkgo leaf is well known as a memory aid, but the fruit has a lot of healing properties as well. They are used in traditional cold remedies as it can help coughs, sore throats and asthma. They are also good for the digestive system.
These nuts are about the size of almonds and are served in the shell. They come from the middle of ginkgo fruit which is suppose to stink like crazy. I’ve read descriptions of the smell that range from rotten butter to vomit. Luckily we had just the nuts and the fruit stench wasn’t apparent.
The inside of the nut is a pale yellow color and the most amazing thing is the texture. It’s like a jelly bean, or a piece of soft plastic, not hard or brittle at all. The taste wasn’t quite up my alley. A little too bitter really, but also kind of bland. In fact, it didn’t have much of a taste at all besides the bitterness. They are usually added to soups so I assume their flavor comes out with a little cooking.
The ginkgo tree itself is old, very old. It is called a living fossil and was likely on the planet the same time as the dinosaurs. They are also considered a sacred tree in China and can often be found planted outside temples.

Tags: food ginkgo nuts traditional
Previous Article Fake Eggs in China
Next Article Construction in China: Plans vs Reality

Related Posts

What’s the Laziest Way up a Mountain? This Way.

As I rode the slick new escalators up the side of the mountain in the Xiamen botanical Gardens, I hated myself a little. Why was I here, supporting the destruction and abuse of this gorgeous natural mountain? I mean, is there anything lazier than taking an escalator up a mountain?

Read More about What’s the Laziest Way up a Mountain? This Way.
Please install Travelera Share Buttons plugin

The Instagrammification of a Beach

You’d think in a country where Instagram was blocked there would be no Instagrammification of places. But then you’d be wrong…very wrong.

Read More about The Instagrammification of a Beach
Please install Travelera Share Buttons plugin

Leave a Reply

Cancel reply

Recent Posts

  • What’s the Laziest Way up a Mountain? This Way.
  • From Zero Covid to Zero F&#*s
  • The Instagrammification of a Beach
  • The Stuff of Nightmares
  • The (Surprising) Best Chinese Food for a Picnic

Archives

Categories

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Recent Posts

  • What’s the Laziest Way up a Mountain? This Way. Becky Ances January 31, 2023
  • From Zero Covid to Zero F&#*s Becky Ances December 29, 2022
  • The Instagrammification of a Beach Becky Ances November 21, 2022
  • Popular
  • Recent
  • The Swiss Family Robinson are a Bunch of Jerks December 11, 2009
  • Making it Official: My Chinese Boyfriend December 7, 2012
  • Good Chinese Wife Review and a Chance to Win a Free Book!! July 27, 2014
  • 10 Signs You've Lived in China a Long Time March 29, 2014
  • What’s the Laziest Way up a Mountain? This Way. January 31, 2023
  • From Zero Covid to Zero F&#*s December 29, 2022
  • The Instagrammification of a Beach November 21, 2022
  • The Stuff of Nightmares September 12, 2022

Subscribe Now to Our Newsletter, It’s Free!

Get the best content delivered straight into your inbox!

Facebook Twitter Google+

About

I’m an American who has been living in China for more than a decade! This is my blog where I muse about all things China. Please also check out my YouTube channel “Badminton Becky” and my other badminton blog at www.badmintonbecky.com

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • YouTube

Recent Posts

  • What’s the Laziest Way up a Mountain? This Way. January 31, 2023
  • From Zero Covid to Zero F&#*s December 29, 2022
  • The Instagrammification of a Beach November 21, 2022
© Copyright 2017. Theme by BloomPixel.