Monkey Puzzle Nut

The monkey puzzle nut, called pinon in its native range, is the edible seed of the monkey puzzle tree (Araucaria araucana), a conifer native to the Andes mountains of Chile and Argentina. The seeds are large, roughly the size of a hazelnut cluster, encased in a hard shell inside cones that can take up to three years to mature, and have long been a staple food of the indigenous Pehuenche people, whose name translates to people of the araucaria. The nuts are typically roasted or boiled before eating, since raw kernels are starchy and unpalatable, and roasted pinones are sold seasonally in Chilean and Argentine markets.