Ginkgo: De-Stinking an Ancient Delicacy
Photography by Marie Viljoen.
In New York City, there are street tree seasons that smell very good—like early summer, when lindens are in bloom. And there are seasons that can smell very, very bad: Fall, and ginkgo trees dropping fruit.
Freshly-cooked ginkgo kernels (they are not technically nuts) are delicious—tasting something like a hybrid of chestnut, pine nuts, and tofu—and they are absolutely odor-free.
Ripe, soft ginkgo can be picked straight from trees, if you can reach.
The spectacular color of a male ginkgo in fall. Ginkgo trees are rare in the wild (and they reside in China).
Ginkgo trees in Brooklyn, New York.
Removing the kernels from ginkgo fruit.
Boiled ginkgo kernels with avocado oil and sea salt, about to be roasted.
Pan-Roasted
Pan-Roasted (my favorite): After the 2-minute boil, pan-roast the boiled seeds with some neutral oil and salt in a covered skillet until they begin to pop ( a bit like popcorn). It takes around 2 – 3 minutes and the popping also helps split the shells open.
Ginkgo kernels in their shells masquerading as pistachios.
Oven-Roasted with Salt: After the 2-minute boil, toss the boiled ginkgo seeds (still in their shells) with sea salt and a neutral oil like avocado, and roast for 8 minutes at 350’F. Some seeds will split for easy shelling.
Oven-Roasted
A bar snack in Japan, ginkgo skewers are easy to make at home.
Skewers: After the initial boil, crack and shell the ginkgo seeds carefully and thread the kernels onto small bamboo skewers. Season with sea salt and some neutral oil, and roast them for 6 minutes under a broiler, turning once.
Skewered
A wintertime snack for friends, months after ginkgo season has passed. They retain their lovely green color and are best eaten warm.