Ji County Walnuts

Ji County Walnuts

　　Ji County Walnuts

　　Walnuts, also known as hu tao or qiang tao, are ranked among the world-famous "Four Major Dried Fruits" along with almonds, cashews, and hazelnuts. They can be eaten raw, roasted, pressed for oil, or used in pastries and candies. Not only are they delicious, but they are also highly nutritious, earning them titles such as "Longevity Fruit" and "Fruit of Immortality."

　　Walnuts have high medicinal value and are widely used in traditional Chinese medicine. According to traditional Chinese medicine, walnuts are warm in nature, sweet in taste, and non-toxic, with benefits such as strengthening the stomach, enriching the blood, moistening the lungs, and nourishing the spirit. The "Shennong Bencao Jing" (The Divine Farmer's Materia Medica) classifies walnuts as a superior tonic that helps lighten the body, boost energy, and prolong life. Meng Shen’s "Shiliao Bencao" (Dietary Materia Medica) from the Tang Dynasty states that eating walnut kernels can stimulate appetite, improve blood circulation, and make skin and flesh more delicate. Liu Han and others in the Song Dynasty, in their work "Kaibao Bencao" (Pharmacopoeia of the Kaibao Era), noted that walnut kernels "make one robust and healthy, moisturize the skin, darken hair, aid urination when consumed in large amounts, and help eliminate hemorrhoids." Li Shizhen in the Ming Dynasty, in his "Compendium of Materia Medica," recorded that walnut kernels have effects such as "nourishing qi and blood, moistening dryness and resolving phlegm, benefiting the Mingmen (vital gate), regulating the Triple Burner, warming the lungs and moisturizing the intestines, treating wheezing and coughing due to deficiency-cold, heaviness and pain in the lower back and legs, abdominal hernia pain, bloody dysentery, and intestinal wind."

　　Modern medical research indicates that the phospholipids in walnuts are very beneficial for brain nerves. Walnut oil contains unsaturated fatty acids, which help prevent arteriosclerosis. Walnut kernels are rich in essential trace elements for the human body such as zinc, manganese, and chromium. Zinc and manganese levels in the human body tend to decline with aging, while chromium aids glucose utilization, cholesterol metabolism, and protects cardiovascular health. The antitussive and anti-asthmatic effects of walnut kernels are also quite notable, making them particularly effective for patients with chronic bronchitis and asthma in winter. Therefore, regular consumption of walnuts not only strengthens the body but also combats aging. Some people often take tonics, but actually eating a few walnuts every morning and evening can be highly beneficial—often even better than taking supplements.