Walnuts

Walnuts are tasty nuts that grow on big walnut trees. They have a hard, bumpy shell that you need to crack open. Inside, the walnut looks a little like a tiny brain with wrinkles and folds. Walnuts have a rich, buttery flavor that people love.

Walnut Trees

Walnut trees can grow very tall and live for hundreds of years. They have big leaves and produce round green fruits that hold the nuts inside. When the fruits dry and fall, the hard walnut shells are inside. There are two main kinds: English walnuts and black walnuts. China and the United States grow the most walnuts in the world.

Using Walnuts

Walnuts can be eaten plain as a snack or added to many foods. People put them in cookies, brownies, and breads. Walnuts are also great on top of salads and in cereal. The wood from walnut trees is strong and pretty, so it is used to make furniture. Walnuts have healthy fats called omega-3s that are good for your brain.

Fun Facts

• Walnuts kind of look like tiny brains when you crack them open.
• The oldest food tree known to people is the walnut tree.
• Walnut shells are so hard that they are sometimes used in industrial cleaning.

Did You Know?

A walnut tree can keep making nuts for over 100 years, and some walnut trees have been alive for more than 400 years.