For most of us, nuts make the perfect crunchy and nutritious snack or wholesome cooking ingredient. There are so many varieties to choose from, each with their own special flavour and consistency. Or just think about spices, what is food without spices? Without the endless varieties of spices that Allah (swt) has created for us, our meals would be bland, tasteless and unenjoyable. But with most nuts and spices becoming increasingly available to us in their processed, packaged forms, it can be impossible to imagine how they grow in nature. You will be surprised to find out how some of your favourite snacks start out. Scroll through the slideshows below to find out how some nuts and spices grow plus some extra facts – have fun!

Sesame Seeds

Sesame seeds grow in small green pods, they are literally seeds!

Fun Fact: Some of the oldest records about sesame seeds are from around 4,000 years ago in Babylon and Assyria (now Iraq).

Cinnamon

You are probably aware that the common sweet and savoury spice cinnamon comes from a tree due to it widely being labelled “cinnamon bark” – but it is still amazing to see how such an aromatic spice comes from a very average looking tree.

Fun Fact: Apart from adding flavour to food, cinnamon has many other uses such as medicinal, cosmetic and agricultural purposes.

Cashews

The way cashew nuts grow is strange and probably something you would never expect. They grow inside a shell attached to the bottom of a fruit that is similar in appearance to a capsicum.

Fun Fact: The fruit of the cashew plant is called the “cashew apple” and can be eaten fresh.

Walnuts

Walnuts are technically the seed of a green fruit that grows on walnut trees – similar to almonds.

Fun Fact: Like some types of fish, walnuts are a great source of omega-3 essential fatty acids.

Brazil Nuts

This one will probably surprise you the most – it grows on tall trees inside large pods that resemble coconuts. Once the pods are cracked you open you will see whole brazil nuts; once their shells are removed you will reach the edible brazil nuts. Once again, the nut is technically the seed for the brazil nut tree!

Fun Fact: most commercially sold brazil nuts come from wild trees rather than cultivated ones as they have a lower production rate.

Peanuts

Peanuts are fascinating and differ from most other nuts in that they grow underground.

Fun Fact: Peanuts are actually a legume not a nut.

Sumac

Sumac is a mildly sour spice that adds a tangy flavour sprinkled on top of meat or in salads. It grows like as a beautiful red flower on small shrubs.

Fun Fact: Sumac leaves and bark have a pigment that is used for tanning leather.

 

هَٰذَا خَلْقُ اللَّهِ فَأَرُونِي مَاذَا خَلَقَ الَّذِينَ مِن دُونِهِ ۚ بَلِ الظَّالِمُونَ فِي ضَلَالٍ مُّبِينٍ 

This is the creation of Allah . So show Me what those other than Him have created.

Rather, the wrongdoers are in clear error.

Qur’an: 31:11