Content
- Stone nut - the fruit of the stone nut palm
- The home of the pear palm
- Nuts, hard as ivory
- Edible stone nut
- Versatile Stone Palm
- Tips & Tricks
Stone nut - the fruit of the stone nut palm
The peanut, also called Tagua, is the seed of the South American native stone palm. When fresh, the fruits can be eaten and consumed. They are dried so hard that they are called "herbal ivory".
The home of the pear palm
Stone nut palms are also known by the names Taguanuss or Corozonuss. They grow in the tropical rainforest, especially in Ecuador, but also occur in Brazil, Peru and Panama.
The palm develops up to six meters long and one meter wide Palmwedel. There are both male and female trees. The flowers of the female palm exude an anesthetic scent. Adult female trees produce up to 20 fruit bales a year, which can reach the size of a head.
The fruit bales grow directly on the relatively short trunk of the palm. By the time they are ripe, six to twelve months pass. They are harvested with the machete, which cuts through the hard, woody stem.
Nuts, hard as ivory
Within the fruitball, the seeds, the Taguas, develop. They can be as big as walnuts, some are even chicken egg sized. The seeds of a fresh walnut are soft at first. After a drying time of several months, they cure so hard that they are as hard as the nutshell.
The brown-black skin is removed. Underneath, the bright seeds, which have the color of ivory, come to light. They work well with a carving knife.
The dried cores were formerly often used as buttons to replace the much more expensive ivory buttons. Today, the inhabitants make jewelry and utensils from the nuts.
Edible stone nut
The fresh walnut contains a liquid that is drinkable and has a slightly sour taste. The pulp is also edible. It is fermented as the basis for a drink called "Chicha de Tagua".
Versatile Stone Palm
Not only the seeds of the palm are used. Roofs are covered with the leaves. The ornate carvings from the seeds are sought-after merchandise, through which the locals can significantly increase their income.
Tips & Tricks
The pear palm grows only in rainforest climate up to a height of 1,800 meters. It prefers marshy locations. In Germany, therefore, it can be kept in orangeries or palm gardens.