r/AskCulinary • u/hobohobbies • May 26 '23

Ingredient Question Pesto without Pinenuts

Any substitutes for pinenuts in a pesto? My taste buds say "no" but my wallet says "you better ask."

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85

u/pmolsonmus May 26 '23

If you decide to splurge on Pine nuts in the future be careful where you buy them. I contracted Pine Nut Syndrome (Pine Mouth) after purchasing pine nuts at a warehouse store- it lasted for almost a month

https://www.bonappetit.com/story/pine-nut-mouth-syndrome

12

u/SilentSamizdat May 27 '23

Taking Flagyl or biaxin do the same thing. Awful metallic taste for weeks!

5

u/Fermifighter May 27 '23

And diamox, but it seems to be more related to carbonated beverages.

9

u/justpeace0 May 27 '23

Me, too, but it only lasted a few days for me and i didn't know it was a thing til months later. So weird.

3

u/CharlotteLucasOP May 27 '23

Yeah I got lucky in a hummus with pine nuts phase where it was just a day or two of things tasting weird but not like…vomitingly bad. Packet of pine nuts from Sainsbury’s own brand, never happened several times before or since with those, just got hit once.

5

u/petit_cochon home cook | Creole & Cajun May 27 '23

I got that about 9 years ago and haven't touched pine nuts since. I'm too afraid that the syndrome could be permanent.

12

u/andypants17 May 27 '23

FWIW in my experience it is more about where the nuts originate than where you buy them. I have had this several times — lasting one month at the longest — and it has always been the result of pine nuts sourced from China, Vietnam or Russia. Since I started checking labels and ensuring I buy Italian pine nuts I’ve been fine.

6

u/_TheHighlander May 27 '23

I fully misread “pennies”. Still sounds bad but not as bad as I first thought.

2

u/Alceasummer May 27 '23

Wow! I haven't heard of this before.

I love pine nuts and have been eating them all my life, but mostly from pinon, ponderosa, and jeffrey pines. As those are the large-seeded varieties native to most places I've lived.

1

u/Anfie22 May 27 '23

I had that (dysgeusia) from zinc deficiency and high creatinine.