Malabar Chestnut (Pachira insignis)

Family: Malvaceae | Edibility: Choice Edible (4/5)

Pachira insignis or commonly known as Malabar Chestnut or Wild Chestnut is a fast-growing evergreen or semi-deciduous tree with a dense and round crown, growing up to 18 m tall and up to 60 cm in trunk diameter. It can be found in South America where it is grown for food and as an ornamental. The seeds can be eaten raw or cooked. It can be roasted or ground into powder. Young leaves and flowers are also edible.

Edible Parts & Harvest Seasons

Edible Parts: Nuts/Seeds, Leaves, Flowers

Harvest Seasons: Early Summer, Fall, Late Summer, Spring

Flavor & Culinary Uses

taste a bit like peanuts, whilst the cooked seeds are like chestnuts. — Seeds - raw or cooked.; Eaten raw, they are said to taste a bit like peanuts, whilst the cooked seeds are like chestnuts.; The seeds can be roasted and used like cocoa.; The seeds can also be ground into a powder and used as flour-substitute in bread.

Habitat & North American Range

Humid upland rainforests, mainly in dense primary forest or late-stage secondary formations in Brazil. Wet, lowland, tropical rainforests at elevations up to 500 metres. (Zone 10)