Acorn is a fruit that comes from trees of the Quercus genus, which we can usually find in the meadows of Extremadura. It is fundamentally known for being one of the main pastures of Iberian pigs during the Montanera period, and one of the reasons why Iberian ham has that characteristic flavor.
As expected, it also has multiple benefits for humans:
- It has a high antioxidant capacity.
- Does not contain gluten.
- And it provides us with unsaturated fats.
In fact, if we look back at history, there is plenty of archaeological evidence of acorn consumption throughout the northern hemisphere, and it is considered a key factor in the longevity of the American Indians. Its benefits are so many that FAO has been proposed as the first food in case of food crisis, due to the nutritional and caloric value it provides. Such is the growing success, that today, there is a resurgence to encourage its consumption and include it in the human diet, in countries such as the United States, Greece and Portugal.
So why isn’t it as popular as other nuts? . Although that does not mean that techniques are not used to neutralize it, such as fermenting the fruit with salt and water for a few months, or processing it under different forms, in flour or oil.
And, in addition, a European project has been created, which encourages the commercialization of a species that produces sweet acorns, and, therefore, its production is being promoted and increased significantly. It seems that, although it is not a regular in our diet, it will become so, in a short time.
Get ahead of the trends and start enjoying the benefits of the acorn today.
We will see you in the next post!