Having a bowl of mixed nuts on the coffee table throughout Christmas is a tradition that many people, including my family, follow.
The nuts are normally still in their shells, and so a nutcracker is provided. An advantage of having the nuts still in their shells is that they keep fresh for ages. The nut mixture usually consists of Brazil nuts (delicious, but oh so hard to crack!), walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans, and almonds. I remember having great trouble cracking nuts as a child. Each nut I ate felt like a reward for all my efforts! I now realise that a good nutcracker can make all of the difference. Please see my page on nutcrackers if you are interested in learning more about the various types that are available.
Supermarkets often stock pre-mixed bags of nuts around the holiday season. Unfortunately, supermarkets where I live (in The Netherlands) have been leaving out the Brazil nuts for the last few years. I had no idea why, until I did some research just now. Apparently, the European Union has imposed strict regulations on the import of Brazil nuts in their shells, as the shells have sometimes been found to contain high levels of aflatoxins, which may lead to liver cancer. Aflatoxins are toxins that are formed by certain molds on food, particularly nuts that are grown in warm, humid conditions. Even though we don’t eat the shells, it is feared that the toxins could pass from the shell into the nut.
TIP One way to make your bowl of nuts look and smell more festive is to add a few star anises and cinnamon sticks (not for eating).
