A walnut is a type of tree nut with a hard shell and wrinkled kernel, and the wood of the walnut tree is also used for furniture.
From Old English “wealhhnutu,” literally “foreign nut,” from “wealh” (foreign, often meaning “Roman” or “Welsh”) and “hnutu” (nut). It was called foreign because the tree came from outside early Germanic lands.
If you look closely, a walnut kernel looks a bit like a tiny brain, and interestingly, it’s rich in fats that are good for your real brain. The name quietly remembers a time when anything imported from the south of Europe felt exotic and foreign.
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