There are so many amazing plants and fruits in the world. Only nuts, there are more than 40 species, but not all of them are edible. Many are familiar with the beneficial properties of nuts, but not everyone knows which of them are the largest and where they grow.
Having made a short review of the varieties of the largest fruits of plants, we determine what is the largest nut in the world and where it grows.
General information
Undoubtedly, the largest nuts grow in Sri Lanka. Some specimens can reach a length of up to one meter, and a width of up to one and a half meters. The weight of such a nut can reach unthinkable sizes - up to 30 kilograms. This miracle is called Maldivian, Seychelles or sea coconut, since it was first discovered by the inhabitants of East Asia on the shores of their place of residence.
Once a wave of old nuts were thrown out. People did not understand what it was, so they decided that it was a coconut demer, which translates as "sea". They suggested that these plants grow under water, and after ripening, coconuts are thrown to the surface from under the water. More details about this miracle are described later in the article.
It should be noted that in ancient times this nut was worth a lot of money - as much as was placed in the shell of the fruit. This was caused by the fact that healers and doctors of those times claimed that he possesses unique healing abilities - helps to cure poisons, increases male sexuality, and is also useful in epilepsy, colic, paralysis and nervous diseases.
Hazelnut
This very tasty and satisfying fruit is not the biggest nut, but it has long been widely cultivated in different countries of the world as a high-yielding culture. There are many varieties, among which the largest is hazelnuts Trebizond. The oblong shape of the fruit grows to 2.5 centimeters in length (1.5 cm in diameter). The hazelnut kernel is a storehouse of many useful substances. It contains amino acids (the human body cannot produce them on its own).
In ancient times, people planted shrubs at their homes, which are the source of these wholesome, satisfying and tasty fruits. These plants protected people from evil spirits.
Walnuts
In the list of the largest - walnut. For each country, their varieties of this variety are popular. To a greater extent, for gardeners, it is not fruit size that is important, but productivity, although size also plays an important role. The largest variety is the Giant, which in reality is unusually large.
Oblong fruits have a thin shell. The dried nucleolus has a mass of 30-35 g. Gardeners are attracted by early maturity and unpretentiousness of the variety, as well as resistance to disease and sufficient frost resistance. The variety also has a slight drawback - the tree bears fruit only in its upper part, so it is quite difficult to get ripe fruits.
An annual fast-growing variety (the largest walnut in the world) is a tree growing up to 5 meters in height. The fruit reaches a length of up to 4 cm with a weight of 33 g. From one tree, the yield can reach up to 100-120 kg. The Giant variety was bred relatively recently, but quickly gained popularity in Europe.
Even in the era of antiquity by the wise Greeks, these nuts were called gifts of the gods and were widely used in food. It should be noted that there were periods when they were forbidden to eat.
Chestnut
This variety of the largest nuts (see photo below) is common from the islands of Japan to Gibraltar. It grows in Australia with North America.
In size, the fruits of chestnuts differ depending on the location of the plant. For example, Russian varieties are distinguished by smaller fruits than their European counterparts. The largest chestnuts (diameter - 3-5 cm) grow in Spain and France. Guinean chestnut, belonging to a completely different biological species, has oblong olive-colored fruits. Their length is 25 centimeters. The inside of the nuts is edible seeds.
Durian
This fruit is also one of the largest nuts. Its name is consistent with it. It is important to note that it is one of the most dangerous and unusual fruits in the world. The spiked walnut has a not very pleasant smell. In diameter, it grows up to 25 cm with an average weight of 4 kg.
If suddenly this miraculous fruit falls on your head, the sensations will be the most unpleasant. And the sensations of the taste of its pulp are completely different for everyone. For some, it is associated with the taste of cream on the cake, and for some it completely repels the unpleasant smell and the desire to taste durian completely disappears. Local Malaysians from this fruit, covered with a rather hard shell, learned to cook various delicious dishes.
Coconuts
These fruits quite deservedly take the second place among the largest nuts. Length - 30 cm, weight - 1.5-3 kg. Coconut fruits on tall palm trees do not grow in very large groups (up to 20 pieces). Ripening of nuts occurs within 8-9 months.
The fruit is a drupe with a sharp differentiation of the layers. Many amazing legends and myths are associated with this amazing fruit, and its useful properties have been highly appreciated in various parts of the world. The nut is famous for both its juice and pulp.
Coco de mer
Some of the names of the largest walnut in the world were presented at the beginning of the article. Only in the Seychelles (Praslin Island) does this amazing unique palm tree grow, on which huge and unusual fruits ripen. Coco de mer in the scientific world is called Lodoicea maldivica.
Some fruits in size in diameter reach 1 meter with a weight of about 25 kg. An interesting and unusual shape resembling some piquant parts of the body. Walnut has 2 layers of shell. It cracks during the ripening period of the fetus.
If you split this giant fruit in half, you can see the seeds, slightly resembling two huge segments of mandarin. It tastes like a pine nut.
The fame of this Seychelles miracle reached the expanses of Russia in the XVII century. Where the world's largest nut grows, the bright sun of the tropics floods the May Seychelles with its hot rays (usually twilight reigns here). This place is like a mysterious and fairy-tale world. Impressions from what he saw are growing in connection with the presence in these places of pleasant aromas of vanilla and cinnamon, as well as the sounds of wind and rustling leaves. It is in this place that the world's most amazing nut grows. Coconut palms form long tunnels, and their branches bend to the ground under the weight of heavy fruits.
Some interesting facts
- Drugs were made on the shell of a nut infused in water with the addition of almonds, and a tonic drink was made from the juice of young pinkish-white nuts.
- All sea coconuts sailing to the Maldives were forbidden by the chiefs of the tribes to collect and hide, otherwise they promised to cut off the hands of those who tried to hide the find in advance.
- Rudolph II of Austria (emperor of the Roman Empire) announced at the end of the 16th century that he would reward 4, 000 gold florins for any Seychelles nut. The walnut owners refused him. And yet, Rudolph II managed to get a cup made from the shell of the famous sea coconut.
- Seychelles came to Russia in the 17th century, but only the tsar could purchase them, paying with precious sable fur.
- Shell carvers made aromatic dishes, ladles and other products.
