Afghan Pine Nuts in Shell (Chilgoza)

Afghan Pine Nuts in Shell are whole chilgoza, slim dark brown shells about the length of a fingernail with a creamy kernel inside. The kernel is buttery and faintly resinous, sweeter and more perfumed than the round Mediterranean pine nut used in pesto, and eating them shell and all is a slow, companionable business.

These are wild-harvested from chilgoza pines in Afghanistan's mountains and sold unshelled, which is how they keep best: the shell shields the oily kernel from air. If you want them ready to cook with, our Afghan Pine Nut Kernels listing has the same nut already hand-shelled.

How to use them

This is above all a snacking nut, cracked between the back teeth or with a light tap and eaten with green tea through the winter, and a fixture on the mewa tray at Nowruz and Eid alongside raisins, walnuts and dried apricot. Shell a handful and they go straight onto Kabuli pulao and qabili, into baklava and halwa, into dolma stuffings, or into pesto and grain salads. Technique tip: warm them briefly in a dry pan and the shells loosen and split far more easily.

Details

Also known as

Chilgoza, Chilghoza, Jalghoza, Pine Nuts in Shell, Unshelled Pine Nuts, Stone Pine Nuts, Himalayan Pine Nuts, چلغوزه (Pashto), جلغوزه (Dari), چلغوز (Persian), صنوبر أفغاني (Arabic), अफ़ग़ानी चिलगोज़ा (Hindi), Afgan Cam Fistigi (Turkish), Pignons de pin afghans (French), 阿富汗松子 (Chinese), Афганские кедровые орехи (Russian)