Pinhão CozidoBoiled Pine Nuts
A Southern winter snack.
Pinhão are the nutrient-dense seeds of the native Araucaria angustifolia pine tree, harvested during winter in Southern Brazil. Pressure-cooked in salted water, their high-amylose starches gelatinize into a dense, nut-flavored core.
Ingredients
- 1000 g Fresh Araucaria Pine Nuts (Pinhão) — Native Seed Base
- 1500 ml Water (for Pressure Cooking) — Thermal Cooking Medium
- 20 g Coarse Sea Salt — Osmotic Seasoning
Method
- Wash pine nutsWash pine nuts thoroughly under cold running water
- Trim the narrowTrim the narrow tips with kitchen shears to speed up heat and salt penetration
- Place trimmed pinePlace trimmed pine nuts, water, and sea salt into a pressure cooker
- Seal and bringSeal and bring to operating pressure (15 psi), then cook for 40 to 50 minutes
- Allow pressure toAllow pressure to release naturally
- Remove pine nutsRemove pine nuts while warm, slice the thick woody shell open lengthwise with a sharp knife or pine nut cracker, and pop out the soft, edible starchy seed
Questions
How long does Pinhão Cozido take?
About 15 minutes of prep and 40 minutes of cooking — 55 minutes total, yielding 6 portions ( edible yield).
What is pinhão?
The seed of the Paraná pine — a dense, chestnut-like winter staple of Southern Brazil, boiled in salt water in its shell and eaten around the festa junina fire.
How long does pinhão take to cook?
Truly: 1 to 2 hours of boiling, sometimes more, depending on the harvest. It is ready when the flesh yields to a thumbnail and tastes sweet and resinous, not astringent.