Yukari’s uncle sent us a bag of fresh gingko nuts (ginnan, in Japanese) from Tsuyama. I love gingko, although Yukari tends to be less enthusiastic, since they can be bitter.
Despite my love of gingko, I had no idea how to prepare these things. They look a little like oversize pistachios, but without a visible seam. Digging around on the Internet turned up only vague instructions on how to shell and roast these things.
Tsuji’s indispensable book, Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art, is a bit more help:
The spongy outer covering is extremely odiferous and liable to rot, so it is usually removed before nuts are brought to market. This still leaves two layers for the cook to tkae care of. The nut cas is thin and be cracked easily with a nutcracker, a knife, or whatever; for the inner skin, drop shelled nuts into hot water on the fire for a few minutes to loosen skins, then rub skins away (in the water) with a slotted spoon.
So, armed with this information, I started my little gingko adventure. Details and more pics after the link below. Update: chuckers and patrick, patrick.com readers, offer two different recipes in the comments — check them out too!
Fresh gingko nuts
First, I needed to figure out how to crack these things open. I tried using the back of my knife, as Tsuji-san had suggested. This did not open the nuts, but it did cause the gingko to fly around the kitchen. An auspicious beginning.
Sensing that a different approach was necessary, I broke out the big guns:
The wily gingko proved no match for the hammer of justice:
Once shelled, I dropped the ginko into boiling water and tried to remove the inner skin using a slotted spoon, but had no luck. So I fished them out and removed them by hand.
Finally, I sauteed them in a bit of vegetable oil, added some salt and snarfed them down. Hurray for ginko!
The way we prepare them is to dry roast them while they are still in the shell. The shell needs to turn quite a bit brown to make sure they are done all the way through.
Then we shell them with a nutcracker (basically a pair of pliers.) If the ginnan isn’t roasted all the way through at that point, it will be a bit juicy and smell like crap. They are also HOT little buggers just out of the frying pan.
Posted by: chuckers at December 6, 2004 6:26 PMtheres a much much easier way to do it, simply place the nuts in a bag( preferably paper), shell and all. then place them in the ,microwave for about 3 minutes. you should start to hear popping sounds, like popcorn, when you pull them out, the shells will be split open, and you can pull them out of the shell no problem. they`re really good this way, they kinda taste like a chewy candy with a slighlty popcorn flavor
Posted by: Patrick (believe it or not) at December 8, 2004 12:37 AM20050206 we are trying your three minute microwave trick before the Superbowl. One pop was just heard, now more…
Posted by: Chris Garrod at February 6, 2005 5:39 PMmy friend and i came across a gingko grove and gathered pocketfuls of gingko nuts and when we came home i called my mom and she said they’re not good for anything - they were still unripe. at least now i know where to return in the fall (ft. greene park bk!)
Posted by: kaia wong at July 2, 2005 4:46 PMI am delighted to find 3 easy recipes for ginkgo nuts.
I have just secured my first bag, which looks EXACTLY like the pictured bag. I will try the Hammer of Justice/sautee methdo with half, and the 3-minute microwave method with the other half. Today I end a looooong search for the [wily] evasive ginko numt, and feel fortunate that I happen to be wearing my ginkgo earrings.
will get back…
Posted by: naehle at April 27, 2006 1:38 PMupdate. evan and i returned to ft greene park and collected loads of ripe gingkos fall 2005 and i ate maybe 8-10 a day for a couple days… and broke out in hives!!!
Posted by: kaia wong at October 10, 2006 4:05 PMI wait until the fruit is really ripe so the seed can be easily squeezed out of it. Peeling away the fruit before it is “over ripe” is difficult and time consuming.
To shell, I use a modified microwave method. I give them 1.5 minutes or so then crack the shells with a light time from a small hammer. It seems the heat makes the shells more brittle and the semi-cooking of the kernels makes them pull away from the shell for easier extraction. Also, the papery covering often comes off easily this way. If it doesn’t it will when the kernels are boiled or sauteed.
The kernels do have a vitamin B6 inhibiting effect so, in addition to the allergy experienced by some, this is something to watch out for. I have seen it recommended that little children not be given more than a couple of nuts, for example. Even adults who eat too many at once can suffer convulsions and even death. It seems this has happended most often when too many were consumed during food shortages and the victims may already have been compromised. Apparently, if B6 is given soon enough the syptoms can be arrested. I wish there were more guidance on how many is “too many.”
Posted by: M Kendall at November 24, 2006 2:29 PMIm am studyin about gingko nut
Posted by: kenyona at April 10, 2007 10:18 AM