Pecan Nut, originally from the South of the United States and Northern Mexico, is a fruit well known for its delicious flavor and benefits. However, few know where this oilseed comes from and how it ended up in Brazil. Scientific name Carya illinoensis K., Pecan has a native plant of forests on the banks of rivers, also developing at altitudes above 2000 meters. This tree can bear fruit for more than 200 years and some say that there are ancient walnut trees. "It is believed that the family that the pecan nut belongs to evolved from its ancestors about 70 million years ago and were distributed throughout North America and Eurasia (Europe and Asia)".
In Brazil, walnut was introduced around 1870 in various regions of the country by North American immigrants who had no intention of cultivating for commercial purposes, but rather to maintain a source of a typical ingredient to produce their recipes.
”According to Gatto et al. (2008), Rio Grande do Sul has the largest pecan orchard in Latin America, being the main planted species, destined, exclusively, for the production of edible nuts ”.
Did you already know the origin of our much loved pecan nut? Comment there!