Okay, a peanut isnt a true nut; so what exactly are nuts?
The Macquarie Dictionary defines ‘nut’ as “a dry fruit consisting of an edible kernel or meat enclosed in a woody or leathery shell”. The Macquarie also states that botanically, a nut is a “hard … one-seeded fruit, as in chestnut …” The peanut, on the other hand, belongs to the same botanical family as peas and beans, making it technically a ‘legume’ rather than a nut. However, the nutritional composition of the peanut is much closer to that of true nuts than to peas or beans, so much of the following discussion applies equally to peanuts as to almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, chestnuts, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios and walnuts. Also, while the coconut is commonly referred to as a ‘nut’, the International Nut Council does not recognise it as such.
