The CookingBites recipe challenge: nuts or seeds

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SatNavSaysStraightOn said:
I don't think that is the definition of seeds we're going with. it's the sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds definition rather than spices definition... but I could be wrong
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This is rather ambiguous territory. I always thought of sesame seeds as a spice, for example. Same with poppy seeds. But maybe they aren't? Wild rice, spelt etc. are also seeds but obviously not spices. In short, can't think of a clear concise way to define which seeds are eligible for this challenge other than listing each one! This Australian websites lists the following as examples of edible seeds - and maybe these are the sort which are eligible for this particular challenge?

  • pumpkin seeds
  • flax seeds
  • sesame seeds
  • poppy seeds
  • sunflower seeds
  • psyllium seeds
  • chia seeds.
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Nuts and seeds - Better Health Channel

At the end of the day I suppose its 'ask the judge' if in doubt about a particular seed. Its supposed to be a fun challenge so no point in tying ourselves in knots with definitions.
 
Morning Glory said:
This is rather ambiguous territory.
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it isn't ambiguous from a botanical point. the seeds that fall with the nuts category are all 'drupes'. for me at least sesame seeds have never every been a spice. how many spices get stuck together with a hard syrup and made into a snack? sesame seeds snacks... I can't think of another,

anyhow I believe the problem is Thai most people are too far removed from the food they eat. if they could recognise it botanically, they'd have a much better understanding of the difference between a spice seed and a drupe seed. sesame seeds come from pods btw. cumin and coriander are simply there at the flower nothing around them except their coating which we consume.

but yes, it's down to the judge unless he can't decide.

but I'm also still without power and will be for most of tomorrow. power lines are down from the storm, so it's difficult to have a sensible discussion regarding it or for me to clarify the matter further. it had never occurred to me that spice seeds could be considered under that category.
 
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SatNavSaysStraightOn said:
t isn't ambiguous from a botanical point. the seeds that fall with the nuts category are all 'drupes'.
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A drupe as far as I understand it is the name for a fleshy fruit surrounding a single seed. So pumpkins (for example) aren't drupes. Nor do sesame seeds come from drupes. The plot thickens!

Wiki:
Drupes are fleshy fruits produced from a (usually) single-seeded ovary with a hard woody layer (called the endocarp) surrounding the seed. Familiar examples include the stonefruits of the genus Prunus (peaches, plums and cherries), olives, coconut, bayberry and Persea species. Some definitions make the mere presence of an internally differentiated endocarp the defining feature of a drupe;[11] others qualify the nature of the endocarp required in a drupe, e.g. defining berries to have endocarp less than 2 mm thick.[4] The term "drupaceous" is used of fruits that have the general structure and texture of a drupe,[13] without necessarily meeting the full definition. Other drupe-like fruits with a single seed that lack the stony endocarp include sea-buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides, Elaeagnaceae), which is an achene, surrounded by a swollen hypanthium that provides the fleshy layer.[14] Fruits of Coffea species are described as either drupes or berries.[9]
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Morning Glory said:
A drupe as far as I understand it is the name for a fleshy fruit surrounding a single seed. So pumpkins (for example) aren't drupes. Nor do sesame seeds come from drupes. The plot thickens!
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I believe that coconuts are considered drupes?

So, and if so, is Thai green curry in the frame?
 
Windigo said:
Well, this is how I learned it. As it's not really authentic Indian to begin with, I suppose it comes down to personal interpretation.
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I have never heard of using nuts in Indian cuisine. Maybe some areas do - India is a BIG country - but it won't happen in my kitchen.
 
Mountain Cat said:
I have never heard of using nuts in Indian cuisine. Maybe some areas do - India is a BIG country - but it won't happen in my kitchen.
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It's said to be northern Indian cuisine, which also uses more coconut. Most Indian food doesn't have either coconut milk or other nuts indeed.

It also depends on the region in the North. It's too big a country for stereotypes
 
Mountain Cat said:
I have never heard of using nuts in Indian cuisine. Maybe some areas do - India is a BIG country - but it won't happen in my kitchen.
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Nuts are definitely used in Indian cuisine, particularly in desserts/cakes. Also as a result Mughals, who occupied India and brought Persian influences. Cashew nuts are often used in korma curries. And as Windigo says, coconut is used in Northern Indian dishes.
 
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Morning Glory said:
A drupe as far as I understand it is the name for a fleshy fruit surrounding a single seed. So pumpkins (for example) aren't drupes. Nor do sesame seeds come from drupes. The plot thickens!

Wiki:
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But almonds are drupes. I knew this before reading information posted by SatNavSaysStraightOn because when I was working for a nutritional company, it was a study topic on whether or not almond milk was okay for people who were allergic to nuts, given that it is not a true nut, and so forth.

The way I see it, LNG is so laidback he likely is going to say that anything goes. I might be wrong, but...
 
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NUT: a fruit consisting of a hard or tough shell around an edible kernel. ( although a nut could be considered as someone who goes swimming in the English Channel on January 1st).
SEED: a flowering plant's unit of reproduction, capable of developing into another such plant.
SPICE: an aromatic or pungent vegetable substance used to flavor food, e.g. cloves, pepper, or cumin
To me there´s a clear distinction - a nut is directly a fruit, the other is a seed within a fruit.
What I DON´T think we should do is get in to a pointless discussion of what is what. The task is pretty straightforward to me: peanuts, cashew nuts, macadamia nuts, almonds, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, walnuts, pistachios, etc.
 
karadekoolaid said:
NUT: a fruit consisting of a hard or tough shell around an edible kernel. ( although a nut could be considered as someone who goes swimming in the English Channel on January 1st).
SEED: a flowering plant's unit of reproduction, capable of developing into another such plant.
SPICE: an aromatic or pungent vegetable substance used to flavor food, e.g. cloves, pepper, or cumin
To me there´s a clear distinction - a nut is directly a fruit, the other is a seed within a fruit.
What I DON´T think we should do is get in to a pointless discussion of what is what. The task is pretty straightforward to me: peanuts, cashew nuts, macadamia nuts, almonds, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, walnuts, pistachios, etc.
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Ah! But we (well me and some a few others here) enjoy a bit of discussion about what is what... its all part of the learning curve.
 
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