How did I miss National Pecan Month? It was the entire month of April and I am just writing about it in the last week! Actually, we attended a meeting of a local senior care networking group at Highgate at Paoli Pointe last week, I picked up a copy of their monthly newsletter and saw a sidebar article about National Pecan month.
So the first thing that happened is that Dara and I got in a debate over pronunciation. I say "peek-can" and she says "Pi-kahn." According to dictionary.com, we are both right! Who knew? Whew... marital discord avoided!
OK, moving on to the fine little Pecan. First, it's history: The pecan tree is a deciduous species of hickory tree native to Mexico and the south central and southeastern regions of the United States. A pecan, like the fruit of all other members of the hickory family, is not truly a nut, but is officially a drupe. That's a fruit with a single stone or pit, surrounded by a husk. Again, who knew? And what the heck is a drupe? I must have been asleep in high school biology that day!
Now really, you ask, why the heck are you writing about the pecan on a blog of senior home care topics? Well, it is a quite healthy snack, that's why! Did you know:
- Pecans contain more antioxidants than any other nut according to Oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) values [Again, who knew?]
- Pecans can help reduce the risk of heart disease and lower cholesterol levels
- Pecans contain more than 19 vitamins and minerals
- Pecans are a natural, high-quality source of protein
- Pecans are naturally sodium free
If this blog didn't provided enough scintillating facts about Pecans for you, then read more on the I Love Pecans web site! Who knew?