Beechnut

Beechnuts are the small, triangular nuts produced by beech trees of the genus Fagus, most notably the European beech, Fagus sylvatica, and the American beech, Fagus grandifolia. Each nut is enclosed, usually in pairs, within a spiny outer husk called a cupule that splits open when the nuts ripen in autumn. Raw beechnuts contain bitter tannins and, in quantity, a mildly toxic alkaloid, so they are traditionally roasted before eating or pressed for a light cooking oil, a practice historically important in parts of Europe before other oilseed crops became widely available.