Why is a walnut a Greek? Where did this name come from?

Walnut is one of the most popular nuts in Russia, it is eaten by millions of people every day. When someone talks about it, associations appear with Greece. But why the walnut is Greek, not Greek?

In the vastness of the Internet, you can find many recipes for baking with the Herring nut (it is called botany), but it is sold everywhere. Walnut, perhaps the most affordable, it is sold in almost all supermarkets, shops, etc. In addition, delicacy is popular not only in Russia. But from regular consumers, few people wondered why the walnut is called Greek, not Greek.

History of walnuts

It is believed that the first Voloshan fruits appeared very long ago, but they grew in Persia. But archaeological finds of this nut were made in Turkey, and in Switzerland, and in Italy, and in China, and in India. Voloshsky fruits are considered to be the oldest of all existing. The story of why the walnut - Greek, begins several centuries before our era.

In ancient Persia, only the elite could eat the volosh nuts. Usually they were served on the table by kings and their attendants. That is why this nut was soon called royal.

In Persia the Voloshian fruit grew in Mesopotamia. If you believe the words of historians, it was a picturesque place with a huge territory. For the first time the Voloshic fruits were mentioned on the letter even before our era in the Code of Hammurabi. But why nuts are called walnuts if they grew up in Persia? And because for the Greeks they became a symbol of life.

Popular plants also left their mark in Greek mythology. Perhaps, many remember the legend of the love of the god of wine Dionysus and the daughter of King Caria. When the girl died, Dionysus turned her beloved into a tree of walnut.

In Greece, the first trees of these nuts were very small, and the nuts are several times smaller than those that can be bought today. When the Greeks saw huge and tasty fruits from the Persians, they were surprised that it was the same nut. After that, in Greece, the nut began to be called Persian and to strive to ensure that the fruits were larger.

Title History

So where did the name of the walnut come from? Persians called the fruits royal, Greeks - Persian. It is thanks to a greater degree of the Romans that we now know this nut as a Greek.

In Italy, the plants got for an unknown reason, but they were imported from Greece. The Romans could not come up with the name of the nut and eventually named it the royal acorn of Jupiter (Jupiter is the main god in Roman mythology). Then why the walnut is Greek? But because for some unknown reason the name did not stick. Then it began to be called just a nut. Years later, and perhaps even centuries, when nuts were constantly brought to Rome, people called themselves Greek nuts. This name has got accustomed.

In Russia, the legendary fruits were brought in the 14th or 15th century. But why is a walnut called Greek, not Greek? The answer is simple! Then they were called Greek, because the word "Greek" was not used in the speech. Nowadays the word "Greek" has long been considered obsolete.

Interestingly, in Afghanistan, a nut is called "four brains", because the Voloshian fruit looks very similar to the halves of the brain. In some European countries, such as France, Spain and Italy, walnut is simply called a nut. And in Germany, the Czech Republic, Poland, Ukraine, England and many other countries, fruits are called nuts of foreigners.

Using the word "Greek"

Having understood why the walnut is called walnut, it is difficult not to pay attention to such an interesting adjective. It was believed that the word "Greek" was used in the common people, but it is not so. This adjective was used by such writers as Usachev and Gogol, and the outstanding Russian philologist Dmitry Nikolayevich Ushakov wrote that this word had become obsolete, but it remained in some special names.

Why is a walnut a Greek in modern Russia? Here, it happened that rare case, when it seems that an out-of-date word that no one is using and is not going to use in the speech is left. Yes, now it is really impossible to find the word "Greek" in modern books, in speech, on the Internet ... But when people suddenly stopped using this definition, it would most likely be foolish to change the name of the fruit. So the walnut and remained gatskim.

Walnut in botany

Another reason why these nuts are so called is associated with botany. The Greek philosopher and scholar Theophrastus was the founder of such a science as botany. It was he who first described the fruits in his book. Perhaps the walnuts were named after Greece not because they sold them to Europe, and then to Russia, unlike the Persians, but because it was the learned Greek who first described this nut, gave him a detailed description.

The Benefits of the Walnut

Several centuries ago, gardeners discovered that walnut trees can not be planted in the range of 20-25 meters from other plants, since they tend to release a toxic substance into the soil. When scientists proved this fact, they began to check whether there was anything toxic in the nuts themselves, and came to the following conclusion.

This nutlet is good for the body, like no other nut. It contains vitamins and minerals B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B6, E, zinc, magnesium, potassium and iron. It is interesting to know that in the composition of nuts, ascorbic acid is almost 50 times greater than in citrus fruits.

In ancient times, warriors used walnuts to heal their wounds, and also to reduce appetite. At the same time, they made from these amazing nuts and medications for ingestion.

Walnut storage

Freshly grown and harvested nuts appear in September. It is best to buy inshell nuts, that is, uncleaned. In the shell, nuts can lie almost 8 months from the date of purchase (if not fresh). Nuts without shell are quite choosy. They must be stored constantly in the refrigerator. And for an even longer period of storage, you can put the peeled nuts in a tight food bag and leave them in the freezer.

Why the walnut is Greek, so far no one knows for sure. This is not written in books, scientists do not make reports on this topic. But nevertheless, such a question is very interesting, and every day even a few people think about it.