Nuts

In Shell

In-shell sacha inchi is the seed of Plukenetia volubilis, the Inca peanut from the Amazon sold still protected by its hard shell for longer storage and table cracking. Shells slow oxygen and light, often keeping kernels fresher than poorly stored shelled nuts. Guests crack their own for interactive snacking; bakers shell ahead for control. Flavour once opened should be mild, green-nutty when roasted; raw can be less pleasant—roast for snacks. Origin: Amazonian Peru and neighbouring regions. Process: roast seeds; press oil carefully to protect delicate fatty acids. Store cool and dry; discard nuts with holes, mould, or a dusty rattle. Roast for flavour; protect oil from heat and light more carefully than olive oil. Allergen: specialty seed—label clearly. Provide a bowl for shell waste so fragments do not migrate into desserts. Use a proper cracker on very hard shells to avoid smashing kernels to dust.