Walnuts and pecans: two kernels, two characters
كركاع و باكان
Two nuts with golden kernels: walnut halves (kerkaa), essentials of Achoura fakya and homemade cakes, and shelled pecans, roasted without salt, milder, almost buttery. To crunch with tea, tuck into a date or scatter over a dessert. By weight, delivered all over Casablanca.
- 2 products
- from 35 MAD
- weighed to order
- delivery all over Casablanca
Walnut and pecan, side by side
Walnut halves are sold shelled: their taste is frank, slightly bitter under the thin skin, and their texture crunchy. This is the walnut of Achoura fakya, shared with family, and of walnut cakes. Roasted unsalted shelled pecans are longer and milder, with notes reminiscent of caramel; roasted and unsalted, they are nibbled as they are or slipped into a dessert.
Choosing well
A good walnut half is pale, whole and crunchy, with no smell of old oil. Unbroken halves make beautiful platters; for baking, a few broken pieces don't matter at all. As for pecans, the unsalted roasted version suits snacking as much as cooking, since you control the seasoning afterwards. If you can't decide between the two, take a little of each: the walnut for its character, the pecan for its mildness. On the tea table, present them in two separate bowls: their colors complement each other beautifully.
Serving ideas
Split one of our Large Medjool dates, remove the pit and tuck in a walnut half: it's the simplest bite on the tea table. Walnuts can be crushed over a salad, a honey yogurt or a cake; pecans caramelize in a few minutes in a pan with a little sugar, to decorate a dessert. For Achoura, mix the walnut halves with almonds, dried figs, dates and raisins, following each household's tradition.
In baking
Chopped, walnuts pair with honey and cinnamon in homemade pastries, and fill a loaf cake, a celebration cake or cookies. Pecans, less traditional in Morocco, happily stand in for walnuts in a loaf cake, brownies or cookies, and bring a milder note. For a festive decoration, arrange a few whole halves on a honey cake or a tart: they keep their shape in the oven.
Storage
Walnuts are among the nuts that go rancid fastest, because of their oils. Keep the halves in an airtight jar in the refrigerator, especially in summer: they stay fresh there for several months. For Achoura supplies bought ahead of time, the freezer is a very good solution, and the halves thaw in a few minutes. Pecans keep the same way.
