ABSTRACT
“True pines” are species of the genus Pinus. There are about 100 species, almost all in north temperate areas of the world. About a dozen produce seeds that are sufficiently large, common, and tasty to be collected and sold commercially as “pine nuts,” but for the most part these are marketed and consumed locally. Three species are most likely to appear as pine nuts in supermarkets. Pillion pine cones are roasted to facilitate removal of the seeds (also known as nuts), a labor-intensive process that adds to their cost. North American pine nuts were a food source for indigenous peoples, especially of the southwestern United States, where there is evidence that they were consumed at least 6000 years ago. Pinon nuts are collected from the wild, a very laborious process that adds to their cost, making it difficult to compete in the marketplace against cheaper imports of European and Korean pine nuts.
