This section contains a selection of our favourite sayings and interesting facts about walnuts, hazelnuts, Nocino and walnut oil. If you have any of your own, please send them to us, we’ll be happy to publish them!

The walnut tree in Greek mythology

The walnut tree is linked to numerous legends of northern, Greek, and Roman mythology.

Since in Greece they thought it was a gift from the Persian kings, the ancient Greeks called it ‘Karya Basilica’ or royal walnut, and considered it a prophetic tree.

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Dream of walnuts

Have you ever dreamt of walnuts?

Yes, maybe it is a little unusual but if it should happen, you should know that your dream symbolises the possible discovery of something that satisfies and makes you feel good.

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Born under the sign of the walnut

What is your sign?

If you were born between 21 and 30 April or between 24 October and 2 November, according to the Celtic horoscope, you were born under the sign of the Walnut!

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In China walnuts are…collectible!

The walnut is an extremely ancient fruit, eaten and used for various purposes not only in our country, but also in the Far East.

Reading various articles, we have discovered that walnuts, arriving in China in around 200 BC, have entered people’s lives in truly bizarre ways.

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The “Time of walnuts”

Tablets, smartphones, and expensive electronic games for children?!

In the end, everyone knows: kids have fun with simple things! A bit of water, sand, grass, and they turn into small cooks or great sorcerers!

At the time of the Romans, the true stars of many childhood games were walnuts, which were used as alternatives to marbles.

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A tribute to traditions: Padre Pio’s cake

Are you lovers of heritage handed down from generation to generation?

Do you want to try your hand in the kitchen and make a cake the old-fashioned way?

Padre Pio’s Cake is a traditional dessert whose recipe has been passed on for many generations, and its preparation turns into a moment of sharing among different families.

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Walnut oil

In Italy, due to a lack of olive groves and the high cost of olive oil, the use of walnut oil developed mainly in the north, where every house had its own walnut tree in the garden. Walnut oil fast became a key ingredient, still used today, in the preparation of one particular dish – the Bagna Cauda, a typical Piedmont recipe.

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Nocino – tradition and legend
Nocino

“La Notte di San Giovanni”, Saint John’s Eve, is a special night – believed to be a time to read the future (hence the Italian saying “San Giovanni non vuole inganni” – which translates as “Saint John wants no tricks”) and to gather herbs which, during the summer solstice, are richer than ever in vitality and aroma.

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Sayings, proverbs and traditions

“He who plants a walnut tree expects not to eat the fruit” is the translation of a traditional Italian proverb, which certainly doesn’t take into account our new early fruiting varieties.
One old Tuscan saying likened getting into an argument with someone even more stubborn than you to “trying to eat walnuts with their shell on”.

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