Nuts

Pellicle

The pellicle is the thin seed skin on kernels of the seed of Ginkgo biloba, eaten cooked in East Asian cuisine, rich in colour and tannin. It adds astringency around a core flavour of soft, mildly sweet-resinous when cooked, with a distinctive ginkgo aroma. Pastry chefs remove it for pale pastes; whole-food cooks may keep it for flecks and fibre. Blanching and rub-off after light roasting are the usual removal methods. Process habits: remove outer flesh carefully (irritant), shell, and cook; limit quantity because of ginkgotoxin concerns especially for children. Cook thoroughly and serve in modest amounts; outer fruit pulp can irritate skin during processing. Allergen: specialty seed with food-safety portion guidance—not an unlimited trail mix nut. Pellicle dust can stain white icings—sieve carefully. Do not eat woody shell fragments thinking they are pellicle. Some diners find skin-on kernels harder to digest; blanching is a practical fix. Home kitchens usually compost removed skins.