Walnutkernels

example 75g bag

Quality:
/winter quality: French half Cerneaux, extra, hand shelled
/summer quality: extra light-colored half Chilean kernels - hand shelled

Origin: France and Chile

Main Areas of Cultivation: France, Chile, USA (California), South Eastern Europe (Moldavia, Bulgaria, Rumania), India / China
The trees grow wild, in mixed forests and on plantations

Quality:
France / Chile: Qualitatively, France and Chile deliver the highest quality product in the world. This is true of both taste and processing. In France and Chile, the walnuts are still shelled by hand at home. This leaves the half kernels almost completely undamaged, in comparison to the USA, where shelling id done by machine.
Cerneaux extra represents the best quality French walnuts. There are also:

- ¼ kernels invalides (damaged kernels)
- arlequins (discolored kernels)
- broken

Extra light is by far the best and cleanest quality produced in Chile. The Kluth Company receives a specially sorted product with almost 100 % undamaged halves.

USA: Not so intense in taste as the French walnuts. Shelled by machine with the disadvantages discussed above.

Other proveniences:
These kernels don't correspond to the quality standard of the Kluth company.

From a nutritional-physiological standpoint, Kluth walnut kernels are in keeping with the trend. Walnut kernels contain no cholesterol and have a high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which lower cholesterol levels. The ratio of polyunsaturated fatty acids to saturated fatty acids is 7:1 - that is one of the best ratios to be found in a naturally occurring food. Walnuts also contain bioactive substances which lower the risk of intestinal disease. Phytosterin is one of these substances. The phenolic acid contained in the nuts limits the growth of bacteria and viruses and protects against destructive oxidation and cardiac infarction.

The probably most significant information about walnuts was published in the internationally leading magazine, "The New England Journal of Medicine" in March of 1993:

Regular consumption of walnuts proven to lower cholesterol!

This is the result of a study on the Loma Linda University (California) on two groups of males. Both groups received a low cholesterol diet, but for one group, 20 % of overall calories were replaced by walnuts. The results were astonishing: after 2 months the blood cholesterol level in those who had received the "walnut diet" dropped 16 % more than for the other group.

Uses:
In the kitchen, the walnut is a creative and talented little nut. It tastes good with cheese bread, or with salad. Walnut kernels are popular dessert ingredients as well, e.g. in ice cream or nut cake. And they taste good all by themselves too.