Nuts

Paste

Walnut paste is a dense, oil-bound grind of Juglans regia kernels milled until the particles cling into a thick, malleable mass rather than a free-flowing flour. Because walnut oil is abundant and polyunsaturated, the paste turns glossy and rich, carrying the nut’s sweet-bitter flavour and any pellicle tannin that was left on the meats. Makers may lightly roast first for a deeper, toastier profile or keep a paler raw grind for sauces where brightness matters more than caramel notes. In the kitchen it thickens muhammara-style dips, fills pastries, binds energy sweets, and loosens into batters with a spoon of warm water, milk, or syrup so it does not seize into lumps. Fresh paste smells clean and nutty; oxidised paste smells of paint and should be discarded, not sweetened into submission. Keep jars sealed and cold—or frozen in small portions—because surface area and oil make staleness arrive quickly. Compared with almond marzipan, walnut paste is more tannic and savoury-leaning; compared with hazelnut praline paste it is less candy-sweet. Label clearly as a major tree-nut ingredient.