From a botanical point of view, these fruits are not a nut, they are actually not even a fruit: Gnetum belongs to gymnosperms, which means that their seeds are not surrounded by a fruit. The red “fruit flesh” is an aril and assumes the function of a fruit: protecting seeds, attracting animals for dispersal.

The aril is quite thin and culinary worthless. The kernel (nucellus), on the other hand, contains a lot of starch (and vitamins), so that a flour can be obtained from them after roasting, with which flat bread is baked or crackers called “emping” are fried. Padi oats are also found in the Indonesian vegetable soup “Sayur asem”.

The seeds and their food products taste a little bit bitter.

• Edible Kernels
• Also edible Leaves Flowers
• Culinary Group Nuts
• Taste Nutty
• Trivial Names Gnetum, Melinjo-Nuss, Malinjo, Melinjo, Belinjo, Kuliat, Culiat, Padi oats, Paddy oats, Peesae, Bét, Rau bép, Rau danh, Gắm, Muling
• Size (single fruit) 2 cm
• Taxonomy Gnetaceae Gnetum gnemon
• Origin East-Asia, Farther India, Malesia, Melanesia, Mikronesia, Polynesia (Map)
• Locality Wissenschaftsgarten Frankfurt (FRG) 2015