This is the second part of my exploration and attempt to find the best and most versatile nut in the world. Each time I take 3 nuts and give them a score, as well as some explanation about why they scored the way they did.
On their own:
It's funny, but Almonds are a go to snack nut in my household, but I don't think I would rank it as one of my favourite nuts. We go through giant Costco sized bags of these nuts regularly and they hold the position of having the largest jar in our available nut collection. While I don't think they're a favourite, they're always good to have around. I really enjoy them toasted with no salt, but every now and then a flavoured one comes around that really makes me happy. I'll give it one point.
Nut Butter:
Allison (my wife) loves Almond butter, particularly if she can find it crunchy. I'm okay with it, but honestly I find the flavour to be a little too smoky. This is another nut butter that I can't ever remember having with jam or on bread for any reason. It's okay with a bit of chocolate, but honestly not one of my favourites, so no points here.
In Chocolate:
Almonds and chocolate are a match made in heaven. The key to combining chocolate and almonds is to keep your almonds whole (or at the very least large pieces). The crunch you get from an almond works really well with the dense soft texture of chocolate. Some of my favourite chocolate bars have full almonds in them and I would never turn down a chance to eat one. Two points for this.
In Sugar Candy:
I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that I think in many cases sugar candy and almonds work well together. First of all nougat with almonds is fantastic. Also, there's a Korean company called HBAF that makes a candy coated almond that's out of this world. In fact they make several flavours of candy coated almonds that are all great. They also layer on the sugar pretty thick. I can't say I've ever had a hard candy with almond, but I'm kind of convinced that it would work. I'll drop a point here for the almonds.
In Other Cooking:
This is one area that I can't really remember a great way to eat an almond. I'm sure it might work as an ingredient in a stuffing maybe, but I'm not entirely convinced the texture would be great. Cookies are okay with almonds, but mostly when they're sliced super thin. Maybe almond flavouring might be good for some baking, but I don't think that's really in the spirit of this competition, so no points here.
Total Almond Points : 4
Next let's look at the Brazil nut.
On their own:
This is going to be a rough one, but I feel like the Brazil nut might only squeak by here. Don't get me wrong, I like eating Brazil nuts, but I just feel like the main reason I like eating them is because they're a fairly uncommon nut. I don't know if I've ever seen a bag of just Brazil nuts available at a grocery store. When they're in mixed nut selections they're rarely the predominant nut. Honestly I can't really ever picture myself eating more than a few of these at any sitting. I'll give them a 1, but mostly because I feel like they're not going to score well in this competition and they deserve something.
Nut Butter:
I feel like a common theme in this article when talking about Brazil nuts will be that I've never seen the Brazil nut any other time then with a bag of mixed nuts. So when it comes to nut butters, I can't say I've ever seen a Brazil nut butter before. I'm also fairly certain that it wouldn't be that great. So no points.
In Chocolate:
I think once in my life have I eaten a Brazil nut covered in chocolate. I believe it was at a fancy chocolate shop and I seem to remember it being not that great. Coating a Brazil nut in chocolate seems like an idea you might have to try it, but not because you think it's going to work flavour wise.
In Sugar Candy:
There are few nuts that work covered in sugar candy. While again, I haven't ever tried a Brazil nut covered in sugar candy, I can't imagine that it would taste very good.
In Other Cooking:
Nope, can't think of any time I've eaten a Brazil nut in cooking. I can't even remember having eaten them in a cookie or cake. No points.
Total Brazil Nut Points : 1
Last one today, will be the walnut.
On their own:
The walnut is going to a get a point for eating on its own, so don't worry. I will however say that I much prefer them toasted with the shell removed. I also might be a bit of a snob here, but I like good quality walnuts over anything lower quality. Low quality walnuts are the worst. They often have an astringent flavour and the number of times I've found bits of that hard membrane shell like stuff in cheap walnuts is astounding. One point here.
Nut Butter:
I think I've had walnut butter once, and it didn't really work. The biggest problem with walnut butter is it tastes a little astringent, the same flavour you get with low quality walnuts. I also find that the flavour of walnuts is too subtle for a spreadable butter. No points here.
In Chocolate:
Chocolate and walnuts can work really well together, but I can't say that they're my favourite nut to blend with chocolate. The problem with walnuts is that the texture can be a little soft for some chocolates. The flavour can also at times be a little too subtle, so too much chocolate overwhelms it in some cases. One point for walnuts and chocolate.
In Sugar Candy:
Other than maybe nougat, I can't think of any time where I've seen walnuts in a sugar candy situation. I can't even remember having a lightly sugar coated walnut. I feel like the subtle flavour and soft texture just wouldn't work very well.
In Other Cooking:
Baking with walnuts is a pretty common thing for me. My favourite banana bread recipe is full of them, and so are my brownies. With savoury foods it might work in some cases, but I can't really think of too many recipes that call for them. On point for the baking.
Total Walnut Points : 3
