Common beech is a character tree of Central Europe and the most common deciduous tree in Germany. The fern-leaved beech differs essentially from other cultivars of the common beech by its deeply serrated to almost thread-like leaves.

Beechnuts are the triangular, pointed seeds of beech, in particular European or common beech. They are formed in a four-bladed cupules, from which they detach in autumn and fall to the ground. Beechnuts can be eaten raw or briefly roasted, whereby they can lead in large quantities raw eaten by contained fagin and oxalic acid to complaints. A coffee substitute can be made from beechnuts by roasting them for longer periods.

After dry, hot years, beech trees produce a particularly large quantity of fruit. Due to these natural fluctuations, the plants prevent the population of squirrels and other animals that eat beechnuts from adapting to the food supply. In years with intensive fruiting of beech trees, more seeds can germinate than usual.

Beech wood is often used for smoking food, which makes it more durable and gives it a pleasant smoky aroma. There are special smoked beers in which the barley malt is dried over beech wood fire and the beer acquires a typical smoke aroma.

The young leaves taste slightly sweet and can be prepared as salad or leaf vegetables.

• Edible Kernels
• Type of fruits Nuts
• Culinary Group Nuts Coffee substitutes
• Taste nutty bitter
• Trivial Names Farnblättrige Buche, Rotbuche, Rot-Buche, Buche, European beech, Common beech, Hêtre commun Buchecker, beechmast, beechnut
• Size (seed) 1 cm
• Taxonomy Fagaceae (Beech family) Fagus sylvatica forma Asplenifolia
• Origin Europe (Map)
• Locality Palmengarten Frankfurt (FRP) 2016