Lithocarpus pachyphyllus (Lithocarpus pachyphylla)

Family: Fagaceae | Edibility: Edible (2/5)

Lithocarpus pachyphylla is an evergreen Tree growing to 25 m (82ft 0in). It is frost tender. It is in leaf all year, in flower from May to June, and the seeds ripen from September to October. The species is monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant) and is pollinated by Wind. Suitable for: medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils.

Edible Parts & Harvest Seasons

Edible Parts: Nuts/Seeds

Harvest Seasons: Fall, Late Summer, Winter

Flavor & Culinary Uses

taste test can tell when the tannin has been leached. — The seed can be up to 20mm long and 30mm wide.; It can be dried, ground into a powder and used as a thickening in stews etc or mixed with cereals for making bread.; The seed contains bitter tannins, these can be leached out by thoroughly washing the seed in running water though many minerals will also be lost.; Either the whole seed can be used or the seed can be dried and ground it into a powder.

Habitat & North American Range

1800 - 3000 metres. Broad-leaved evergreen and mixed forests, mixed mesophytic forests at elevations of 800 - 3,200 metres in western China. (Zone 4, Zone 5, Zone 6, Zone 7, Zone 8)