The market · Nuts and seeds · East Asia
Ginkgo nuts
The seeds of the ginkgo tree — soft, faintly bitter-sweet, and jade green once cooked.
bitter · chewy
just inWhat to do with it
Rosa Ibarra's Clarified milk punch, mezcal and pineappleGinkgo nut would temper its sweetnessKenji Hara's Milk punch, with hojichaGinkgo nut would temper its sweetness
ShandongPoetry and Rites ginkgoGinkgo nuts, shelled and blanched, simmered in syrup with honey and lard until they're glazed and tender — a sweet from the Kong family's banquet table.No one here has made it yet
JapaneseChawanmushiA savoury egg custard, steamed in a teacup with dashi, and set so softly it barely holds.2 versions here
JapaneseChawanmushiA savoury egg custard, steamed in a teacup with dashi, and set so softly it barely holds.2 versions hereIf you can't find it
Asian grocers, shelled in vacuum packs or tins.
- A piece of cooked chestnut for each nutYou lose the slightly bitter, jade-green chew; chestnut is sweeter and softer.
Honestly
In chawanmushi, leaving them out is fine.
Goes with
Cooked with, here
How much, here
2–2% of the dish by weight — a place to start.
Knowing it
- Where to buy
- Fresh in the shell in autumn from Japanese, Korean or Chinese grocers; vacuum-packed or tinned all year.
- A little history
- The ginkgo is a living fossil: its lineage goes back roughly 200 million years.
- Worth knowing
- Always cooked, never raw, and only a handful at a time — ginkgo seeds are mildly toxic in quantity, especially for children.
