The vast majority of people have tried walnuts. Based on the name, many believe that the origin (homeland) of walnuts is Greece. It may sound unexpected to someone, but it is not. Greece is not home to walnuts. The present place of origin of this plant, its botanical description, benefits and features will be described in this essay.
general description
Before you find out where the homeland of the walnut is, you should learn what it is. This is a type of tree that belongs to the walnut family. It bears other names, for example, "royal", "Greek" or "Voloshsky".
The tree is quite large, can reach more than 25 meters in height. His trunk is thick. The bark is gray. Growing walnut branches form a fairly large and dense crown, which can reach a diameter of more than 20 meters.
Leaves and flowers
The leaves of the nut are regular, complex, that is, they consist of several leaves, growing on one, common, petiole - rachis. The leaves, in addition, have their own separate small petiole, which is called the “stipule” or “secondary petiole”. They grow from 50 to 100 mm in length, bloom at the same time as the flowers.
The flowers are dioecious, greenish and small. They are located on the tops of annual branches, singly or in small groups. The flowers have a double perianth, spliced with an ovary. Walnuts are classified as wind-pollinated plants.
Origin and name
And yet, where does the walnut come from? He came from Central Asia, and got his name because he got into our, and not only, country, through Byzantium, which included Greece. An interesting fact is that in Greece itself the nut was called "Persian".
There is a version that Kyrgyzstan is the homeland of walnut. This is due to the fact that relict walnut forests are located on its territory, which only indirectly confirms this version. No other, actual, confirmation of this theory yet exists.
It is known that walnuts began to be cultivated in Ancient Mesopotamia (the current territory of Iraq) and Persia (the territory of Iran). It should be noted that in other countries it has other names and there is no reference to the country. It is called "royal" or simply "nut". An interesting fact: in the United States it was called English due to the fact that it was delivered from England. The Afghan name for the nut can be translated as "four brains."
Fruit
Continuing to consider where the homeland of walnuts is located, we should talk about the fruits of the tree itself. They are large enough, bonded. They have a rather thick skin-fibrous pericarp of green color, which everyone is used to calling peel.
Under it is a fairly strong bone that has a spherical or ovoid shape. Inside there are from two to five partitions. Ripening, the peel is divided into two parts, freeing the nut. Inside a strong, woody shell is an edible fruit called the core.
Spread
Understanding where the walnuts came from, you should pay attention to the territory of their distribution. In the wild, they grow in the Caucasus, are especially common in its western part. Walnuts grow in the northern parts of India and China, in Iran, the Balkans, Asia Minor, the Tien Shan, Ukraine, Russia and Greece.
As mentioned earlier, the largest areas of relict walnut trees to date are in Kyrgyzstan. They are located on the slopes of the Chatkal and Ferghana ranges, at altitudes from 1000 to 2000 meters above sea level. The fruits collected in these places are considered one of the best.
Habitat
The homeland of walnuts (in Iran and Iraq) has a rather favorable climate, which is why these thermophilic trees originated there. Today they can be found in those places where there are soils rich in humus, while moderately moist and with good aeration. Due to the fact that the walnut tree has a sufficiently large root system, which goes deeper than four meters and to the sides more than 20 meters, it uses a very large amount of soil. This allows trees to endure short dry periods.
On the territory of Russia, walnut feels good mainly in the southern part of the country, but it can also be found, for example, in St. Petersburg. Trees can not stand long frosts - 28 ° C and freeze. However, not completely, but a large, healthy, well-bearing tree from a frozen specimen will no longer work.
Using
The kernel has a great taste and a fairly high nutritional value. Even in the homeland of walnut in ancient times, it was eaten in its natural form, as well as in the form of spices, various dishes were prepared with its addition. These are mainly cakes, pastries, sweets, halva and other sweets. However, there are many cooking recipes and meat dishes that use walnuts. It is especially common in the cuisines of the Caucasus.
From nuts, in addition to gourmet dishes, oil is made, which belongs to the group of drying ones. It is taken for food, and also used to create artistic varnishes. The fact is that varnish based on walnut oil gives a peculiar shade, which is appreciated by masters. Also, oil is used in the manufacture of mascara, creams and soaps.
Content and Application
The walnut kernel has a high fat content - from 45 to 75%, protein - from 8 to 22%, and it also contains vitamin B 1 and provitamin A. It is believed that the fruit of a nut is a rather effective way to improve male potency. One of the most common recipes for improving it is considered nuts with honey. Doctors recommend eating walnuts, regardless of whether you suffer from any ailments or not. These wonderful fruits are rich in useful substances that are necessary for the human body.
Leaves have long been used as a vitamin and wound healing agent. Infusions and decoctions from foliage and pericarp in alternative medicine are used to treat diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, kidneys, bladder, gynecological ailments, with tonsillitis and stomatitis, atherosclerosis and vitamin deficiency.
Interesting Facts
There is an original way to catch trout in the mountain rivers of Transcaucasia. A decoction of walnut leaves is poured into the river, thereby stupefying the fish, after which it can be easily caught with a small net or net.
Unripe walnut fruits are used to create vitamin concentrates, and jam is also prepared from them. According to the memoirs of A.F. Sergeev, who was brought up in the family of Joseph Stalin, the leader was very fond of jam from unripe nut fruits and very often emphasized its usefulness. It is fair to say that such fruits have a rather pleasant taste and are very highly nutritious, and are also indicated for dietary nutrition.
Currently, to obtain the whole range of vitamins and nutrients, not only fruits are used, but also their internal septum, pericarp, and also the leaves of the walnut tree. In the leaves, the vitamin C content is 4.5 mg per 100 g.
In conclusion, it is worth noting that these amazing fruits are not only tasty, but also very useful. Their uniqueness lies in the fact that they can be used in almost any form. But most importantly, these nuts are very affordable and can be purchased in many stores at a not too high price.