Beech forest is not only a source of high quality wood. These perennials bear fruit with extremely nutritious and healthy nuts , known as chinariki. The product is an excellent ingredient for preparing a wide variety of dishes. Chinarik nut can be fried. Oil, squeezed from such fruits, has special properties, as well as excellent aroma.
Beech tree: description and photo
Beech is a broad-leaved perennial plant that can reach a height of about 30 meters. The tree can be identified by a characteristic smooth trunk with a grayish bark. The foliage is large and oval in shape. The edges of the leaves contain rare small cloves.
Beech is a tree widely distributed throughout Europe, as well as in North America and Asia. The life cycle of a plant is over 350 years. There is beech at an altitude of 400 meters above sea level.
The tree begins to give color and fruit from the age of 60 years. The plant produces chinariki nuts, which have a dense spiky shell. They begin to crumble to the ground between September and October. If optimal weather conditions are observed, the beech is able to produce about 7-8 kilograms of nuts per season.
What is a chinarik?
The beech fruits are small. Their length does not exceed one and a half centimeters. Chinariki nuts have a trihedral shape. The outer shell is presented in the form of wooding plates. Beech nuts grow in clusters, each of which can contain up to four units.
The fruits of the tree are the favorite delicacy of the inhabitants of the forest, in particular wild boars, roe deer, squirrels, deer and birds. As for people, ancient peoples traditionally used beech nuts for food. And this is not surprising, because the product has an extremely pleasant taste, aroma and has high nutritional value.
Cooking Beech Nuts
The fruits of the beech tree are edible. It is recommended to use them only in fried form. The crude product contains toxic substances that are destroyed by heat.
Chinarik is widely used in cooking in the manufacture of a coffee substitute. For these purposes, nuts are fried and finely ground. Then the product is brewed with boiling water. Thus, an excellent tonic drink is obtained, the taste of which is vaguely reminiscent of coffee.
Chinarik, grated into flour, can be used as a basis for baking bread. Such raw materials are often added to confectionery, which allows sweets to acquire a piquant aroma. Oil is also obtained from grated nuts, which is in no way inferior to sunflower or olive.
Beneficial features
Beech fruits are a valuable source of carbohydrates, proteins and essential minerals for the human body. Chinariki nuts contain an abundance of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and vitamin B. Such substances have a positive effect on the state of the nervous system, provide the body with energy, strengthen the cardiovascular system, and improve the condition of hair and skin.
Beech nuts are rich in organic acids, in particular vanilla, coumaric, citric, ferulic. These substances differ in diuretic and bactericidal action, contribute to the elimination of inflammatory processes. The product contains saponins, which, when ingested, contribute to the rapid breakdown of fatty compounds.
Including chinariki in your daily diet, you can feel more energetic for a short time. At the same time, immunity will be significantly strengthened, which will forget about colds.
Contraindications
What harm can beech nuts cause? In addition to nutrients, the product contains a high concentration of oxalic acid. Excessive concentration in the body can cause weakening of bone tissue, destruction of tooth enamel, the formation of kidney stones.
Another not the most useful element in the structure of Chinariks is the alkaloid fagin. The chemical element is known as hallucinogen, which is toxic in large quantities. The concentration of the alkaloid in the body leads to attacks of vomiting, headache, and the development of convulsive conditions. Given the above, when using beech nuts you need to know the measure.