1 00:00:14,560 --> 00:00:17,920 Speaker 1: You're listening to Part Time Genius, the production of Kaleidoscope 2 00:00:18,120 --> 00:00:19,120 Speaker 1: and iHeartRadio. 3 00:00:23,840 --> 00:00:27,520 Speaker 2: Guess what Will? What's that game? When I say brazil nuts, 4 00:00:27,760 --> 00:00:31,800 Speaker 2: is there a specific country that comes to mind for you? 5 00:00:31,800 --> 00:00:33,880 Speaker 2: Call me crazy, but I feel like there should be 6 00:00:33,880 --> 00:00:35,320 Speaker 2: an obvious answer to this one. I don't know if 7 00:00:35,360 --> 00:00:38,800 Speaker 2: this is a trick question, but I'm gonna guess Brazil. Yeah, 8 00:00:38,920 --> 00:00:41,559 Speaker 2: it is a trick question. The answer I'm looking for 9 00:00:41,880 --> 00:00:46,960 Speaker 2: was Bolivia, No, which actually produces almost as many brazil 10 00:00:47,080 --> 00:00:50,800 Speaker 2: nuts as Brazil. Together, the two countries are responsible for 11 00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:54,440 Speaker 2: ninety percent of the world's brazil nut crop, and Bolivia 12 00:00:54,520 --> 00:00:58,600 Speaker 2: exports more of the processed and shelled nuts than Brazil. 13 00:00:58,960 --> 00:01:00,800 Speaker 3: So if I go buy a back of trail mix 14 00:01:00,880 --> 00:01:04,399 Speaker 3: with brazil nuts in it, I'm probably eating Bolivia nuts. 15 00:01:04,760 --> 00:01:08,480 Speaker 2: M That's right, all right? So how come Brazil gets 16 00:01:08,480 --> 00:01:10,920 Speaker 2: all the glory here? I mean, as with most things, 17 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:15,880 Speaker 2: blame the conquistadors, right. So, brazil nut trees are native 18 00:01:15,920 --> 00:01:20,360 Speaker 2: to the Amazon, particularly Brazil, Bolivia, and Peru, and there's 19 00:01:20,360 --> 00:01:23,280 Speaker 2: evidence that indigenous people ate the nuts as many as 20 00:01:23,319 --> 00:01:27,560 Speaker 2: eleven thousand years ago. So when Europeans arrived in the 21 00:01:27,600 --> 00:01:31,520 Speaker 2: early fifteen hundreds. They called their landing place Terra do Brazil, 22 00:01:31,880 --> 00:01:35,800 Speaker 2: a reference to another tree the brazil Would and as 23 00:01:35,840 --> 00:01:38,680 Speaker 2: they made their way across South America, they discovered these 24 00:01:38,760 --> 00:01:42,800 Speaker 2: huge trees with big, delicious nuts, which they began calling 25 00:01:43,160 --> 00:01:47,080 Speaker 2: chestnuts from Brazil what else? And one of the first 26 00:01:47,120 --> 00:01:51,800 Speaker 2: European references to brazil nuts comes from Juan Alvarez Maldonado, 27 00:01:52,160 --> 00:01:54,920 Speaker 2: a Spanish conquistador who relied on them to fuel his 28 00:01:55,040 --> 00:01:59,200 Speaker 2: troops during an expedition through Peru. And later Dutch traders 29 00:01:59,200 --> 00:02:02,040 Speaker 2: began impoort brazil nuts to Europe, where they became a 30 00:02:02,080 --> 00:02:05,120 Speaker 2: popular treat at Christmas time, and from there they made 31 00:02:05,160 --> 00:02:07,880 Speaker 2: their way to the US. But despite the fact that 32 00:02:07,880 --> 00:02:11,239 Speaker 2: Brazil can't claim a monopoly on the nut and Bolivia 33 00:02:11,320 --> 00:02:14,160 Speaker 2: produces a ton of them, the name just stuck. 34 00:02:14,520 --> 00:02:15,920 Speaker 3: It does feel like the kind of thing that a 35 00:02:15,960 --> 00:02:18,320 Speaker 3: really savvy marketing expert could help them solve. 36 00:02:18,680 --> 00:02:21,560 Speaker 2: Right, Yeah, it's a branding problem, really yeah. 37 00:02:21,639 --> 00:02:23,480 Speaker 3: I mean they just need a good slogan, like you 38 00:02:23,520 --> 00:02:25,959 Speaker 3: can't spell brazil nut without Bolivia, you know. 39 00:02:26,000 --> 00:02:29,600 Speaker 2: I feel like, actually, that's it. I think I nailed it. Yeah, 40 00:02:30,040 --> 00:02:33,320 Speaker 2: let's keep brainstorming that one. In the meantime, though, today 41 00:02:33,360 --> 00:02:36,200 Speaker 2: we have nine weird and wonderful facts about nuts and 42 00:02:36,280 --> 00:02:39,240 Speaker 2: things that aren't technically nuts, but for all intents and 43 00:02:39,320 --> 00:02:42,919 Speaker 2: purposes are nuts, like the brazil nut, which, yes we 44 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:46,640 Speaker 2: know it's a seed. We'll get into all that and more. 45 00:02:47,000 --> 00:02:47,880 Speaker 2: So let's dive in. 46 00:03:06,480 --> 00:03:11,359 Speaker 3: Hey, their podcast listeners, welcome to Part Time Genius. 47 00:03:11,440 --> 00:03:12,320 Speaker 2: I'm Will Pearson. 48 00:03:12,440 --> 00:03:15,720 Speaker 3: And because Mango couldn't be here today, we do miss you, Mango. 49 00:03:15,880 --> 00:03:19,120 Speaker 2: Hope you're having fun. Our old pal Gabe Luzier is 50 00:03:19,160 --> 00:03:22,040 Speaker 2: here with me instead. Gabe, it's always so good to 51 00:03:22,040 --> 00:03:23,560 Speaker 2: see you. It's a pleasure. 52 00:03:23,919 --> 00:03:26,680 Speaker 3: And over there in the booth shotgunning a can of 53 00:03:26,720 --> 00:03:29,720 Speaker 3: mixed nuts and wearing a T shirt that says, hold on, 54 00:03:29,760 --> 00:03:31,520 Speaker 3: let me make sure I'm getting this right. It says 55 00:03:31,680 --> 00:03:35,680 Speaker 3: fancy nuts for a fancy man. Dylan, you never let 56 00:03:35,760 --> 00:03:38,560 Speaker 3: us down. It's our pal and producer, Dylan Fagan. 57 00:03:38,720 --> 00:03:42,840 Speaker 2: Ah that Dylan so fancy, so fancy, All right, Gabe. 58 00:03:42,880 --> 00:03:44,840 Speaker 3: Well, before we go any further, I think we should 59 00:03:44,840 --> 00:03:47,520 Speaker 3: get ahead of all the emails and comments that people 60 00:03:47,560 --> 00:03:49,480 Speaker 3: are composing in their heads right now. 61 00:03:49,560 --> 00:03:51,400 Speaker 2: You saw it coming. At the top of the show. 62 00:03:51,840 --> 00:03:54,680 Speaker 3: We said this was an episode about nuts, and then 63 00:03:54,760 --> 00:03:58,760 Speaker 3: we started by talking about brazil nuts, which, as you mentioned, 64 00:03:59,080 --> 00:04:01,280 Speaker 3: are actually seeds. I feel like we're gonna have to 65 00:04:01,280 --> 00:04:03,640 Speaker 3: say that repeated that we do get that, and this 66 00:04:03,800 --> 00:04:07,000 Speaker 3: is going to be a recurring issue in this episode, 67 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:09,080 Speaker 3: so let's just get ahead of it and talk about 68 00:04:09,080 --> 00:04:09,480 Speaker 3: it now. 69 00:04:09,720 --> 00:04:13,640 Speaker 2: Yeah, okay, So here we go. The botanical definition of 70 00:04:13,680 --> 00:04:16,880 Speaker 2: a nut is a dry, hard fruit with a single 71 00:04:16,960 --> 00:04:20,560 Speaker 2: kernel inside a shell that doesn't split open when it matures. 72 00:04:21,160 --> 00:04:27,000 Speaker 2: So this narrow definition excludes things like almonds, cashews, pine nuts, 73 00:04:27,040 --> 00:04:30,520 Speaker 2: brazil nuts, even walnuts, lots of things you know which 74 00:04:30,560 --> 00:04:34,000 Speaker 2: have nuts in the name. Walnuts in particular, are somewhere 75 00:04:34,040 --> 00:04:37,000 Speaker 2: between a drup and a nut, so not quite And 76 00:04:37,360 --> 00:04:40,359 Speaker 2: for the purposes of today's episode, we're using nut in 77 00:04:40,360 --> 00:04:44,160 Speaker 2: the colloquial or culinary sense, meaning if you'd find it 78 00:04:44,200 --> 00:04:47,560 Speaker 2: in a bin labeled nuts at the grocery store, we're 79 00:04:47,600 --> 00:04:50,280 Speaker 2: calling it a nut. That seems fair enough, all right. 80 00:04:50,279 --> 00:04:52,280 Speaker 3: Well, now that we've got that cleared up, let's move 81 00:04:52,320 --> 00:04:54,880 Speaker 3: on to our next fact here, which concerns one of 82 00:04:54,880 --> 00:04:58,440 Speaker 3: my favorite nuts, which is the pistachio. In fact, I 83 00:04:58,440 --> 00:05:00,960 Speaker 3: have already eaten a handful of pistaschias today, I'm happy 84 00:05:00,960 --> 00:05:01,440 Speaker 3: to report. 85 00:05:01,960 --> 00:05:04,800 Speaker 2: So did you get caught up in the Dubai chocolate craze? 86 00:05:04,800 --> 00:05:08,000 Speaker 2: Gabe A little bit. Yeah, I think the the high 87 00:05:08,080 --> 00:05:10,640 Speaker 2: cost of the chocolate bars kind of curbed that a 88 00:05:10,680 --> 00:05:13,520 Speaker 2: little bit, but I will admit I gave into temptation. 89 00:05:13,640 --> 00:05:15,840 Speaker 2: I had to try it out, and yeah, I mean, 90 00:05:15,880 --> 00:05:18,960 Speaker 2: pretty good pistachios hard to go wrong. Did the same thing. 91 00:05:19,240 --> 00:05:20,680 Speaker 2: I'm a cheap chocolate eater. 92 00:05:20,800 --> 00:05:23,080 Speaker 3: But it was funny, like you knew the craze was 93 00:05:23,120 --> 00:05:25,400 Speaker 3: in fact a craze when you started seeing them at 94 00:05:25,400 --> 00:05:28,479 Speaker 3: the checkout counter, like at your local convenience store. That's 95 00:05:28,520 --> 00:05:31,640 Speaker 3: when I knew it had gone pretty far. But anyway, 96 00:05:31,680 --> 00:05:35,800 Speaker 3: long before pistachios were associated with trendy candy, they were 97 00:05:35,839 --> 00:05:38,000 Speaker 3: associated with red food dye. 98 00:05:38,320 --> 00:05:41,440 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, yeah. I remember seeing red pistachios in the 99 00:05:41,440 --> 00:05:44,160 Speaker 2: store when I was a kid, and you know, I 100 00:05:44,200 --> 00:05:46,480 Speaker 2: would beg my mom for him. I insisted that they 101 00:05:46,520 --> 00:05:49,680 Speaker 2: tasted better and she was like, no, that's just red dye. 102 00:05:49,720 --> 00:05:52,000 Speaker 2: But I always wondered, you know why they did that. 103 00:05:52,600 --> 00:05:54,520 Speaker 3: Well, to find the answer to this, we actually have 104 00:05:54,560 --> 00:05:57,680 Speaker 3: to go back to the nineteen twenties, so over the years, 105 00:05:57,680 --> 00:06:01,120 Speaker 3: there have been different claims about who first died pistachios red, 106 00:06:01,160 --> 00:06:03,839 Speaker 3: and of course why they did that. But having spent 107 00:06:03,880 --> 00:06:05,120 Speaker 3: a lot of time reading. 108 00:06:04,839 --> 00:06:08,000 Speaker 2: About pistachios this past week, I'm choosing to believe the 109 00:06:08,040 --> 00:06:11,360 Speaker 2: story put forward by a family owned Detroit based nut 110 00:06:11,360 --> 00:06:15,240 Speaker 2: company called Jermac. They've been around since nineteen twenty four, 111 00:06:15,560 --> 00:06:19,440 Speaker 2: and according to their official story, founder Frank Jermack Senior, 112 00:06:19,560 --> 00:06:21,560 Speaker 2: was the first person to come up with the idea 113 00:06:21,560 --> 00:06:25,560 Speaker 2: of dying pistachios red. So he did this for two reasons. 114 00:06:25,680 --> 00:06:28,360 Speaker 3: So first of all, back then, almost all pistachios sold 115 00:06:28,360 --> 00:06:31,279 Speaker 3: in the US were imported from Iran and Irani and 116 00:06:31,320 --> 00:06:35,200 Speaker 3: pistachios have these reddish husks that discolor the shells during 117 00:06:35,240 --> 00:06:39,000 Speaker 3: the roasting process, so red dye covered that up. Plus 118 00:06:39,000 --> 00:06:41,920 Speaker 3: it had the added benefit of making pistachios maybe a 119 00:06:41,960 --> 00:06:44,839 Speaker 3: little bit more eye catching, I guess which was really 120 00:06:44,880 --> 00:06:48,040 Speaker 3: important here, because Germak began selling them in these penny 121 00:06:48,080 --> 00:06:51,520 Speaker 3: vending machines. He gave his bright red pistachios the brand 122 00:06:51,560 --> 00:06:54,559 Speaker 3: name red Lip, and during the Great Depression they became 123 00:06:54,640 --> 00:06:58,680 Speaker 3: popular as a cheap, nutrient dense snack. So for decades 124 00:06:58,760 --> 00:07:02,839 Speaker 3: Jermak dominated the US pistachio business. To put it in perspective, 125 00:07:02,960 --> 00:07:06,039 Speaker 3: a nineteen seventy three Detroit Free Press story noted that 126 00:07:06,080 --> 00:07:09,159 Speaker 3: of the eight thousand tons of pistachios processed in the 127 00:07:09,240 --> 00:07:13,120 Speaker 3: United States that year, Germac handled five thousand of those. 128 00:07:13,640 --> 00:07:16,600 Speaker 2: That is fascinating. But you know, now that I think 129 00:07:16,600 --> 00:07:18,840 Speaker 2: about it, I can't remember the last time I saw 130 00:07:18,840 --> 00:07:22,000 Speaker 2: a red pistachios for sale, Like, why did the stop? 131 00:07:22,240 --> 00:07:24,080 Speaker 3: I'm the same way, Gabe. Actually, it was one of 132 00:07:24,120 --> 00:07:26,360 Speaker 3: those things. I'd really not thought about it until we 133 00:07:26,400 --> 00:07:29,120 Speaker 3: started talking about nuts this week. But it was a 134 00:07:29,160 --> 00:07:33,160 Speaker 3: gradual change in response to market supply and consumer preferences. 135 00:07:33,320 --> 00:07:34,880 Speaker 3: So a lot of people didn't like the way the 136 00:07:34,920 --> 00:07:37,920 Speaker 3: red dye stained their fingers and their clothes. And in 137 00:07:37,960 --> 00:07:41,880 Speaker 3: the nineteen seventies the California pistachio industry just took off, 138 00:07:42,200 --> 00:07:44,360 Speaker 3: and it was these domestic nuts that didn't have the 139 00:07:44,440 --> 00:07:47,880 Speaker 3: same discoloration issues of the important ones. And that was 140 00:07:47,920 --> 00:07:50,760 Speaker 3: a good thing because since the nineteen nineties many consumers 141 00:07:50,840 --> 00:07:53,320 Speaker 3: wanted to avoid artificial food coloring. 142 00:07:53,880 --> 00:07:54,360 Speaker 2: But if you. 143 00:07:54,400 --> 00:07:57,520 Speaker 3: Misread pistachios, or if you're curious and want to try 144 00:07:57,560 --> 00:08:01,520 Speaker 3: some Germak does sell them now under the name Holiday Red, 145 00:08:01,880 --> 00:08:04,320 Speaker 3: and they get their brilliant hue from a beat powder. 146 00:08:04,360 --> 00:08:08,200 Speaker 2: So there's actually no dye needed to create these, all right, Yeah, no, 147 00:08:08,200 --> 00:08:11,880 Speaker 2: no excuse not to reacquaint myself. Then that's right, that's right. 148 00:08:12,080 --> 00:08:15,440 Speaker 2: But okay, that was a you know, a fascinating cultural 149 00:08:15,560 --> 00:08:18,120 Speaker 2: journey through the recent past. But now let's go back 150 00:08:18,240 --> 00:08:21,160 Speaker 2: thousands of years to the heyday of the Silk Road. 151 00:08:21,240 --> 00:08:24,800 Speaker 2: You up for that, absolutely, all right. So a Purdue 152 00:08:24,920 --> 00:08:29,800 Speaker 2: University researcher named Keith Weiste discovered a connection between the 153 00:08:29,840 --> 00:08:34,560 Speaker 2: spread of languages across Asia and the humble walnut. So 154 00:08:34,840 --> 00:08:38,160 Speaker 2: Wisti is a research geneticist who worked with the USDA 155 00:08:38,280 --> 00:08:41,360 Speaker 2: Forest Service to study the genetic makeup of different trees, 156 00:08:41,400 --> 00:08:45,080 Speaker 2: including walnuts. He and a team were analyzing samples from 157 00:08:45,240 --> 00:08:48,960 Speaker 2: native walnut forests across Asia when they realized that many 158 00:08:49,040 --> 00:08:54,119 Speaker 2: languages in the region had similar words for walnut. For example, 159 00:08:54,360 --> 00:09:00,560 Speaker 2: in Kazakh, Kurghiz, and Uzbek it's yongok, which may some 160 00:09:00,640 --> 00:09:04,080 Speaker 2: sense because these are all Turkic languages. But the more 161 00:09:04,160 --> 00:09:08,120 Speaker 2: closely they looked at languages, maps and walnut DNA, the 162 00:09:08,200 --> 00:09:12,280 Speaker 2: more patterns began to emerge. Like genetically speaking, it turns 163 00:09:12,280 --> 00:09:15,800 Speaker 2: out that walnuts in eastern Iran are closely related to 164 00:09:15,840 --> 00:09:19,840 Speaker 2: walnut trees in the Himalayas. So that's a line running 165 00:09:19,920 --> 00:09:23,000 Speaker 2: almost due east to west, which is not a pattern 166 00:09:23,040 --> 00:09:26,800 Speaker 2: you'd see if a tree spread organically. So left to 167 00:09:26,880 --> 00:09:30,560 Speaker 2: their own devices, trees spread in concentric patterns as they 168 00:09:30,600 --> 00:09:34,640 Speaker 2: gradually scatter seeds, not straight lines like we're seeing here. 169 00:09:35,280 --> 00:09:39,640 Speaker 2: So by overlaying maps of walnut gene pools and major languages, 170 00:09:39,720 --> 00:09:43,400 Speaker 2: the researchers concluded that the trees didn't spread by accident. 171 00:09:43,679 --> 00:09:47,320 Speaker 2: They were planted by traders traveling along the Silk Road, 172 00:09:47,800 --> 00:09:51,079 Speaker 2: making them the first known example of a forest station 173 00:09:51,679 --> 00:09:55,680 Speaker 2: or planned establishment of tree cover where none existed before. 174 00:09:56,360 --> 00:09:59,720 Speaker 3: I mean, it's astonishing that they can analyze walnut DNA. 175 00:10:00,240 --> 00:10:02,839 Speaker 2: Thank you, I thought the same thing, Yeah, I mean, 176 00:10:03,000 --> 00:10:05,280 Speaker 2: and this research has been going on for decades, but 177 00:10:05,640 --> 00:10:08,640 Speaker 2: it wasn't until the advent of gene mapping technology that 178 00:10:08,720 --> 00:10:11,280 Speaker 2: we could really start to solve this kind of mystery. 179 00:10:11,720 --> 00:10:13,200 Speaker 2: That's just wild, all right. 180 00:10:13,200 --> 00:10:16,080 Speaker 3: Well, here's a less positive use of technology, and that 181 00:10:16,280 --> 00:10:19,120 Speaker 3: is nut crime, which sounds like a joke, but it's 182 00:10:19,200 --> 00:10:22,040 Speaker 3: not funny when you consider that it cost California nut 183 00:10:22,040 --> 00:10:23,800 Speaker 3: farmers millions of dollars. 184 00:10:24,080 --> 00:10:26,880 Speaker 2: You know, we love a weird food crime story here 185 00:10:26,920 --> 00:10:30,240 Speaker 2: at Part Time Geniuses. I know we've done entire episodes 186 00:10:30,240 --> 00:10:33,640 Speaker 2: on cheese crimes and wine crimes, So tell me about 187 00:10:33,640 --> 00:10:34,959 Speaker 2: the nut crimes. All right. 188 00:10:35,000 --> 00:10:38,360 Speaker 3: So, the California nut industry is worth billions of dollars 189 00:10:38,400 --> 00:10:41,080 Speaker 3: every single year, and the uptick and crime seems to 190 00:10:41,120 --> 00:10:44,120 Speaker 3: have started around two thousand and nine. There was one 191 00:10:44,160 --> 00:10:46,200 Speaker 3: report I read that linked this to the two thousand 192 00:10:46,200 --> 00:10:50,120 Speaker 3: and eight recession. This is when consumer demand for electronics dropped, 193 00:10:50,160 --> 00:10:54,480 Speaker 3: making gadgets a less attractive item for theft and resale. Now, 194 00:10:54,559 --> 00:10:57,000 Speaker 3: nuts are always in demand, they last a long time 195 00:10:57,040 --> 00:11:00,480 Speaker 3: before they spoil, and unlike flat screen TV, they don't 196 00:11:00,480 --> 00:11:04,560 Speaker 3: have serial numbers or barcodes, so you really can't track them. So, 197 00:11:04,600 --> 00:11:09,480 Speaker 3: between twenty thirteen and twenty seventeen, over ten million dollars 198 00:11:09,559 --> 00:11:13,160 Speaker 3: of California almonds and pistachios were stolen, and the problem 199 00:11:13,200 --> 00:11:16,600 Speaker 3: has gotten worse as organized nut thieves have become more sophisticated. 200 00:11:17,480 --> 00:11:20,160 Speaker 2: So what does a nut heist even look like? 201 00:11:20,640 --> 00:11:22,920 Speaker 3: Well, that's the tricky thing. Here it looks like a 202 00:11:23,000 --> 00:11:25,680 Speaker 3: normal day at a nut farm. See, there's a complex 203 00:11:25,760 --> 00:11:30,440 Speaker 3: web of growers, wholesalers, distributors, and retailers, all of whom 204 00:11:30,520 --> 00:11:34,040 Speaker 3: contract with third party trucking companies to move these nuts 205 00:11:34,040 --> 00:11:36,560 Speaker 3: from place to place. Now, one of the main ways 206 00:11:36,640 --> 00:11:38,679 Speaker 3: nut thieves get their hands on the goods is by 207 00:11:38,720 --> 00:11:42,480 Speaker 3: impersonating employees of a trucking company, So they create a 208 00:11:42,520 --> 00:11:45,880 Speaker 3: fake cargo company, They show up early, and they leave 209 00:11:45,920 --> 00:11:49,360 Speaker 3: with the loot before the real truckers arrive. Now, another 210 00:11:49,400 --> 00:11:52,080 Speaker 3: problem is that some victims are hesitant to report this 211 00:11:52,200 --> 00:11:55,400 Speaker 3: kind of cargo theft. They worry about bad pr They 212 00:11:55,440 --> 00:11:57,920 Speaker 3: assume that once the nuts are gone, there's no way 213 00:11:57,960 --> 00:12:00,760 Speaker 3: to get them back. And these cases are difficult to 214 00:12:00,800 --> 00:12:04,600 Speaker 3: pursue because they involve moving products across state lines, which 215 00:12:04,600 --> 00:12:07,880 Speaker 3: can make jurisdiction hard to determine as well. So a 216 00:12:07,960 --> 00:12:10,920 Speaker 3: local police department might refer you to a federal agency, 217 00:12:11,040 --> 00:12:13,559 Speaker 3: which might send you to a state agency, which might 218 00:12:13,600 --> 00:12:16,880 Speaker 3: refer you back to the Feds. And unfortunately, even when 219 00:12:16,920 --> 00:12:20,040 Speaker 3: the FBI has jurisdiction, they often lack the resources to 220 00:12:20,080 --> 00:12:22,600 Speaker 3: go after small and medium sized cases that don't have 221 00:12:22,640 --> 00:12:25,200 Speaker 3: a clear link to organized crime or terrorism. 222 00:12:26,040 --> 00:12:28,400 Speaker 2: Now, I badly want someone to make one of those 223 00:12:28,440 --> 00:12:31,679 Speaker 2: CSI shows about nut thefts, you know, to raise awareness 224 00:12:31,720 --> 00:12:36,240 Speaker 2: about the problem. Well, we have to take a quick break, 225 00:12:36,280 --> 00:12:38,720 Speaker 2: but when we come back, we have more nutty facts 226 00:12:38,720 --> 00:12:41,840 Speaker 2: for you, including a rare medical condition caused by a 227 00:12:41,880 --> 00:12:45,600 Speaker 2: popular salad topping, and the toughest nut to crack don't 228 00:12:45,640 --> 00:13:03,200 Speaker 2: go anywhere. Welcome back to part time Genius. 229 00:13:03,240 --> 00:13:05,400 Speaker 3: Now, before we get back to nuts, quick reminder that 230 00:13:05,440 --> 00:13:07,680 Speaker 3: if you have a question or idea for the show, 231 00:13:08,080 --> 00:13:09,960 Speaker 3: you can give us a call. You call us at 232 00:13:09,960 --> 00:13:13,120 Speaker 3: three oh two, four oh five five nine two five. 233 00:13:13,200 --> 00:13:15,680 Speaker 3: We always love hearing from you. We may even use 234 00:13:15,720 --> 00:13:18,120 Speaker 3: your voicemail in a future episode if you're okay with that. 235 00:13:18,280 --> 00:13:21,360 Speaker 2: But if you prefer text based communication, you can always 236 00:13:21,360 --> 00:13:24,920 Speaker 2: email us at High Geniuses at gmail dot com. That's 237 00:13:25,160 --> 00:13:31,079 Speaker 2: Higeniuses at gmail dot com. Okay, Well, my next fact 238 00:13:31,200 --> 00:13:33,920 Speaker 2: definitely pushes the boundary of the word nut. Let me 239 00:13:33,960 --> 00:13:37,040 Speaker 2: say that in advance, and I will admit this is 240 00:13:37,040 --> 00:13:39,360 Speaker 2: a seed, but it's so cool I just had to 241 00:13:39,400 --> 00:13:42,960 Speaker 2: include it. I'm talking about the Coco de mare aka 242 00:13:43,200 --> 00:13:47,400 Speaker 2: the ccoconut or the double coconut, and in fact, it's 243 00:13:47,440 --> 00:13:50,280 Speaker 2: the largest seed in the world and one of the 244 00:13:50,360 --> 00:13:51,000 Speaker 2: rarest too. 245 00:13:51,400 --> 00:13:54,160 Speaker 3: You know, I love coconuts, so I've decided to allow 246 00:13:54,240 --> 00:13:55,320 Speaker 3: this exception as well. 247 00:13:55,880 --> 00:13:59,760 Speaker 2: Thank you will, very gracious. So for centuries, these giant 248 00:13:59,800 --> 00:14:02,680 Speaker 2: cos have washed up on the shores of the Maldives. 249 00:14:03,080 --> 00:14:06,600 Speaker 2: It said that a Roman emperor once paid four thousand 250 00:14:06,679 --> 00:14:09,240 Speaker 2: gold florins for one, which I assume is a lot, 251 00:14:09,520 --> 00:14:11,840 Speaker 2: and you know, he had it mounted on a gold stand. 252 00:14:12,400 --> 00:14:14,920 Speaker 2: And so finding one of these it was a big deal. 253 00:14:15,040 --> 00:14:18,320 Speaker 2: They were prized items for sale or trade, and they 254 00:14:18,320 --> 00:14:21,600 Speaker 2: were used for medicinal purposes too, But that doesn't mean 255 00:14:21,600 --> 00:14:24,440 Speaker 2: that the average person who picked one up got to 256 00:14:24,560 --> 00:14:28,080 Speaker 2: profit from it. At one point, any sea coconut that 257 00:14:28,320 --> 00:14:31,080 Speaker 2: washed up on the beach was considered the property of 258 00:14:31,160 --> 00:14:33,880 Speaker 2: the Sultan of the Maldives. He just claimed them. 259 00:14:33,880 --> 00:14:34,120 Speaker 1: All. 260 00:14:34,520 --> 00:14:36,760 Speaker 2: Wow, now you actually you've mentioned a couple times that 261 00:14:36,800 --> 00:14:39,160 Speaker 2: they washed up there, So are you saying they don't 262 00:14:39,160 --> 00:14:41,160 Speaker 2: grow in the mal thieves? Like they just floated there 263 00:14:41,200 --> 00:14:44,280 Speaker 2: from somewhere else. Yeah, and for a long time no 264 00:14:44,320 --> 00:14:47,040 Speaker 2: one knew where they came from. Legend had it that 265 00:14:47,080 --> 00:14:50,880 Speaker 2: there was an underwater forest of exceptionally large palm trees, 266 00:14:50,920 --> 00:14:54,040 Speaker 2: which sounds incredible, but the truth is pretty cool too. 267 00:14:54,440 --> 00:14:58,160 Speaker 2: In seventeen sixty eight, a French explorer finally figured out 268 00:14:58,200 --> 00:15:01,000 Speaker 2: where the cocoa de mare came from a pair of 269 00:15:01,080 --> 00:15:05,280 Speaker 2: islands in the Seyshells, about three thousand miles southwest of 270 00:15:05,280 --> 00:15:08,400 Speaker 2: the Maldives. So this is the only place in the 271 00:15:08,440 --> 00:15:11,800 Speaker 2: world where the cocoa de mare grows. And as for 272 00:15:11,840 --> 00:15:15,040 Speaker 2: how the seeds travel from there, well, it turns out 273 00:15:15,040 --> 00:15:17,880 Speaker 2: that when the coconuts fall into the ocean, they sink 274 00:15:18,080 --> 00:15:20,600 Speaker 2: because they're so heavy they weigh about up to fifty 275 00:15:20,600 --> 00:15:23,800 Speaker 2: pounds each and they don't float until their insides have 276 00:15:23,920 --> 00:15:27,880 Speaker 2: rotted away, which makes them unviable. So the seed can't 277 00:15:27,920 --> 00:15:31,960 Speaker 2: spread beyond their native islands, but the rotten ones ride 278 00:15:32,080 --> 00:15:35,800 Speaker 2: sea currents over to the Maldives. So this emperor paid 279 00:15:35,840 --> 00:15:39,400 Speaker 2: a bunch of gold for a rotten seed. I guess, yeah, 280 00:15:39,440 --> 00:15:42,000 Speaker 2: he sure did. But when you consider how rare these 281 00:15:42,040 --> 00:15:44,160 Speaker 2: things are, I mean, I understand why he did it. 282 00:15:44,520 --> 00:15:47,160 Speaker 2: And there's one more fun fact about this crazy coconut 283 00:15:47,160 --> 00:15:50,080 Speaker 2: I have to share, because it's a double coconut. Remember, 284 00:15:50,320 --> 00:15:53,000 Speaker 2: the two halves kind of look like a human butt, 285 00:15:53,160 --> 00:15:57,200 Speaker 2: and the local Seychelles creole. It's not called a cocoa 286 00:15:57,240 --> 00:16:01,240 Speaker 2: de mare. It's called a cocoa fess, which means yes, 287 00:16:01,880 --> 00:16:02,600 Speaker 2: bum nut. 288 00:16:02,920 --> 00:16:04,640 Speaker 3: Oh man, I feel like there's gonna be a lot 289 00:16:04,680 --> 00:16:07,320 Speaker 3: of giggling going on on the listening of this episode. 290 00:16:07,320 --> 00:16:08,920 Speaker 2: But who doesn't love a bomb nut? Right? 291 00:16:09,400 --> 00:16:11,960 Speaker 3: All right, Well, let's continue with the tropical vibe for 292 00:16:12,000 --> 00:16:16,160 Speaker 3: a moment. You've probably seen pistachios, walnuts, even almonds for 293 00:16:16,240 --> 00:16:19,239 Speaker 3: sale in the shell, but there's one nut that's always 294 00:16:19,280 --> 00:16:20,640 Speaker 3: sold shelled. 295 00:16:20,520 --> 00:16:24,640 Speaker 2: And that is the macadamia nut. Yeah. I mean, I 296 00:16:24,720 --> 00:16:26,880 Speaker 2: never thought about it, but you're right, I have never 297 00:16:26,920 --> 00:16:29,760 Speaker 2: seen macadamia nuts, you know, in the shell. 298 00:16:30,000 --> 00:16:32,360 Speaker 3: And there's a good reason for that. So macadamias are 299 00:16:32,400 --> 00:16:36,280 Speaker 3: the world's toughest shelled nut. They require three hundred pounds 300 00:16:36,320 --> 00:16:39,400 Speaker 3: of pressure per square inch just to crack. It actually 301 00:16:39,440 --> 00:16:41,560 Speaker 3: makes you wonder, like back to the first person ever 302 00:16:41,640 --> 00:16:43,520 Speaker 3: getting a taste to one of these, Like how they 303 00:16:43,600 --> 00:16:47,600 Speaker 3: actually got to it. But you know, macadamias are native 304 00:16:47,640 --> 00:16:50,400 Speaker 3: to Australia, but back in the late eighteen hundreds they 305 00:16:50,400 --> 00:16:53,040 Speaker 3: were imported over to Hawaii, which is the place most 306 00:16:53,040 --> 00:16:56,560 Speaker 3: Americans associate them with. Hawaiians call them mac nuts, and 307 00:16:56,600 --> 00:17:00,000 Speaker 3: it's a huge industry there, a real source of local pride. 308 00:17:00,240 --> 00:17:02,680 Speaker 3: But harvesting them requires a ton of work, as we 309 00:17:02,760 --> 00:17:05,679 Speaker 3: mentioned before. So first the mature nuts fall to the 310 00:17:05,680 --> 00:17:08,679 Speaker 3: ground and they're harvested. Then the husk need to be 311 00:17:08,720 --> 00:17:11,040 Speaker 3: removed from there, and the nuts get dried out so 312 00:17:11,080 --> 00:17:13,840 Speaker 3: that the meat stays fresher longer, and the shells get 313 00:17:13,840 --> 00:17:17,439 Speaker 3: brittle and it makes them easier to crack open. So 314 00:17:17,560 --> 00:17:21,240 Speaker 3: after that the processors have to use this specialized machinery, 315 00:17:21,320 --> 00:17:25,640 Speaker 3: often imported from the Southern Hemisphere, just to open these nuts. Now, 316 00:17:25,640 --> 00:17:27,119 Speaker 3: it may have gone down a little bit of a 317 00:17:27,200 --> 00:17:30,399 Speaker 3: rabbit hole of the macadamia nut cracking equipment, and I 318 00:17:30,440 --> 00:17:33,320 Speaker 3: have to say my favorite is the New Zealand company 319 00:17:33,440 --> 00:17:36,600 Speaker 3: called Crackadamia. Of course, it's just such a great name. 320 00:17:36,640 --> 00:17:40,080 Speaker 3: I loved it. They invented a macadamia cracking machine that 321 00:17:40,280 --> 00:17:45,000 Speaker 3: uses hardened sharp steel knives attached to these heavy duty flywheels. 322 00:17:45,400 --> 00:17:48,320 Speaker 3: Now there are other commercial macnut crackers out there, but 323 00:17:48,400 --> 00:17:50,960 Speaker 3: you can't beat the name Crackadamia. 324 00:17:51,200 --> 00:17:54,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, you really can't. I'm sure they're good at nut cracking, 325 00:17:54,200 --> 00:17:58,200 Speaker 2: but they are really good at branding. That's their main thing. Yeah, yeah, right. 326 00:17:58,600 --> 00:18:01,879 Speaker 2: Well I'm glad you brought up nutcrackers though, because that's 327 00:18:02,000 --> 00:18:04,280 Speaker 2: what my next fact is all about. And I'm not 328 00:18:04,359 --> 00:18:08,200 Speaker 2: talking commercial machinery. I mean those gadgets that your grandparents 329 00:18:08,240 --> 00:18:11,480 Speaker 2: had lying around, or the decorative soldier guys you see 330 00:18:11,520 --> 00:18:15,200 Speaker 2: at Christmas. People have used various tools to crack nuts 331 00:18:15,200 --> 00:18:19,520 Speaker 2: for thousands of years. Apparently Leonardo da Vinci even brainstorm 332 00:18:19,600 --> 00:18:22,240 Speaker 2: the best way to open nuts, and his solution was 333 00:18:22,320 --> 00:18:26,320 Speaker 2: a huge horsepowered press. Wow, that would take up a 334 00:18:26,359 --> 00:18:28,840 Speaker 2: lot of space in a kitchen yeah, yeah, right, or 335 00:18:28,880 --> 00:18:32,359 Speaker 2: a barn. And you know, over the centuries, nutcrackers took 336 00:18:32,400 --> 00:18:36,959 Speaker 2: different shapes, from simple utilitarian tools to colorful fancy dolls. 337 00:18:37,440 --> 00:18:40,920 Speaker 2: The decorative nutcracker really took off in the nineteenth century 338 00:18:40,960 --> 00:18:44,879 Speaker 2: over in Europe, where toymakers began making elaborate versions in 339 00:18:44,920 --> 00:18:49,400 Speaker 2: their workshops. German author Eta Hoffman published his fairy tale 340 00:18:49,480 --> 00:18:52,800 Speaker 2: The Nutcracker and the Mouse in eighteen sixteen, and in 341 00:18:52,840 --> 00:18:57,359 Speaker 2: eighteen nineteen Chaikowsky turned it into the famous ballet. So 342 00:18:57,840 --> 00:19:00,560 Speaker 2: you know, nutcrackers have a long history both as art 343 00:19:00,640 --> 00:19:04,200 Speaker 2: and as a culinary tool. But there are only two 344 00:19:04,400 --> 00:19:08,560 Speaker 2: museums in the world dedicated to nutcrackers. That's too few right, 345 00:19:09,400 --> 00:19:13,560 Speaker 2: One in Germany and one in Levenworth, Washington. And the 346 00:19:13,640 --> 00:19:17,919 Speaker 2: Levenworth Nutcracker Museum is the world's largest nutcracker museum, with 347 00:19:18,040 --> 00:19:23,320 Speaker 2: over nine thousand handmade nutcrackers. It's run by Arlene Wagner, 348 00:19:23,359 --> 00:19:27,080 Speaker 2: who recently turned one hundred and one years old. Happy birthday, Arlene. 349 00:19:27,480 --> 00:19:30,920 Speaker 2: And She became interested in nutcrackers in nineteen seventy six 350 00:19:31,080 --> 00:19:34,360 Speaker 2: when she was involved in a community production of the Nutcracker. 351 00:19:34,880 --> 00:19:37,639 Speaker 2: Since then, she's traveled the world collecting them. One of 352 00:19:37,680 --> 00:19:41,120 Speaker 2: the newest additions to her collection is a nutcracker modeled 353 00:19:41,160 --> 00:19:44,880 Speaker 2: after her. It was made by some fans in Germany. 354 00:19:45,359 --> 00:19:48,200 Speaker 2: It holds a nutcracker in each hand, a tiny little one, 355 00:19:48,320 --> 00:19:51,880 Speaker 2: and it's wearing her signature string of pearls. So I've 356 00:19:51,880 --> 00:19:55,440 Speaker 2: actually never even heard of Levenworth, Washington, but I kind 357 00:19:55,440 --> 00:19:58,159 Speaker 2: of want to go there now, I mean road trip. 358 00:19:58,320 --> 00:20:01,960 Speaker 2: What do you say, fly? It's pretty far gay Yeah, okay, 359 00:20:02,040 --> 00:20:03,879 Speaker 2: that makes sense, all right. 360 00:20:03,920 --> 00:20:06,360 Speaker 3: Well, since we're talking about Christmas, I have to mention 361 00:20:06,600 --> 00:20:10,359 Speaker 3: roasted chestnuts. Of course, people ate roasted chestnuts before the 362 00:20:10,440 --> 00:20:13,600 Speaker 3: Christmas Song was written in nineteen forty five. But then 363 00:20:13,640 --> 00:20:15,960 Speaker 3: there's the question how did they become so associated with 364 00:20:16,000 --> 00:20:19,000 Speaker 3: the holiday that Robert Wells and Meltormet included them in 365 00:20:19,040 --> 00:20:21,960 Speaker 3: their lyrics. Well, the first part of the answer has 366 00:20:22,040 --> 00:20:25,840 Speaker 3: to do with botany. Chestnut trees are resilient to cold, 367 00:20:26,000 --> 00:20:28,240 Speaker 3: and the nuts are ready to harvest in late fall. 368 00:20:28,720 --> 00:20:32,679 Speaker 3: But also, chestnuts were historically considered a substance food, and 369 00:20:32,680 --> 00:20:36,199 Speaker 3: they're connected to a fourth century Catholic saint named Saint Martin. 370 00:20:36,640 --> 00:20:37,560 Speaker 2: Now Martin was a. 371 00:20:37,400 --> 00:20:40,680 Speaker 3: Lowly soldier and then a cold winter day he ripped 372 00:20:40,680 --> 00:20:43,320 Speaker 3: his coat in half to share with a beggar. His 373 00:20:43,400 --> 00:20:47,000 Speaker 3: feast day, November eleventh, became associated with acts of charity, 374 00:20:47,160 --> 00:20:51,160 Speaker 3: including giving away nutritious food like chestnuts. To this day, 375 00:20:51,240 --> 00:20:55,120 Speaker 3: many parts of Europe celebrate Saint Martin's Day with roasted chestnuts. 376 00:20:55,359 --> 00:20:58,320 Speaker 3: The tradition came to the US, where American chestnut trees 377 00:20:58,440 --> 00:21:01,399 Speaker 3: used to grow in abundance along the East Coast. Street 378 00:21:01,480 --> 00:21:04,520 Speaker 3: vendors sold roasted chestnuts in East Coast cities because they 379 00:21:04,560 --> 00:21:09,040 Speaker 3: were cheap and plentiful, and even tastier than their European counterparts, 380 00:21:09,040 --> 00:21:11,199 Speaker 3: which are more starchy than they are sweet. 381 00:21:11,600 --> 00:21:14,080 Speaker 2: You know, just like with red pistachios, I feel like 382 00:21:14,080 --> 00:21:18,520 Speaker 2: you don't see roasted chestnuts much anymore. No, that's true, 383 00:21:18,520 --> 00:21:21,000 Speaker 2: and our good pal Doug mac actually looked into that 384 00:21:21,119 --> 00:21:25,080 Speaker 2: for his Snackstacked newsletter. So the conventional wisdom is that 385 00:21:25,160 --> 00:21:29,000 Speaker 2: American taste for roasted chestnuts faded after a twentieth century 386 00:21:29,080 --> 00:21:32,560 Speaker 2: chestnut blight wiped out most of our native chestnut trees, 387 00:21:32,920 --> 00:21:36,760 Speaker 2: leaving us with these less tasty European imports. But Doug 388 00:21:36,880 --> 00:21:40,000 Speaker 2: also discovered that that's not the whole story. So roasted 389 00:21:40,080 --> 00:21:42,160 Speaker 2: chestnut vendors were still in the streets of New York 390 00:21:42,200 --> 00:21:45,280 Speaker 2: as late as the nineteen sixties, apparently doing just fine. 391 00:21:45,359 --> 00:21:48,080 Speaker 2: So I also dug into this and found newspaper articles 392 00:21:48,119 --> 00:21:51,720 Speaker 2: from the seventies and eighties that raved about fancy French 393 00:21:51,760 --> 00:21:55,760 Speaker 2: desserts like mont Blanc that were made with these imported chestnuts. 394 00:21:56,280 --> 00:21:59,399 Speaker 2: So it's not entirely clear why roasted chestnuts disappeared, but 395 00:21:59,520 --> 00:22:02,920 Speaker 2: one thing for certain. Next Christmas, you can always buy 396 00:22:02,960 --> 00:22:05,800 Speaker 2: a bag and roast them in your oven. Martha Stewart 397 00:22:05,840 --> 00:22:08,080 Speaker 2: says to set the tempt to three point fifty in 398 00:22:08,160 --> 00:22:11,479 Speaker 2: order to do so. Okay, good to know all right, 399 00:22:11,720 --> 00:22:14,160 Speaker 2: it is time for our final fact of the day, 400 00:22:14,359 --> 00:22:18,439 Speaker 2: and it's about a mysterious condition known as pine mouth. 401 00:22:18,920 --> 00:22:21,680 Speaker 2: This was first reported in two thousand and one by 402 00:22:21,760 --> 00:22:26,240 Speaker 2: European researchers who described eight cases of a strange taste 403 00:22:26,280 --> 00:22:30,200 Speaker 2: disturbance after eating pine nuts. Now, some of the cases 404 00:22:30,200 --> 00:22:34,280 Speaker 2: were so severe they were reported to local poison control centers. 405 00:22:34,600 --> 00:22:38,520 Speaker 2: The researchers hypothesized that the pine nuts had oxidized, and 406 00:22:38,560 --> 00:22:40,960 Speaker 2: they actually did a test with a volunteer who ate 407 00:22:41,040 --> 00:22:44,080 Speaker 2: oxidized pine nuts and then reported having a bad taste 408 00:22:44,080 --> 00:22:44,600 Speaker 2: in their mouth. 409 00:22:45,160 --> 00:22:48,080 Speaker 3: I mean, oxidized nuts would taste bad, right, Like, this 410 00:22:48,160 --> 00:22:49,720 Speaker 3: doesn't seem like news. 411 00:22:50,160 --> 00:22:53,399 Speaker 2: Yeah, except it's not just about the food tasting bad 412 00:22:53,440 --> 00:22:55,639 Speaker 2: as you're eating it. It's that you end up with 413 00:22:55,640 --> 00:22:58,919 Speaker 2: a bad taste in your mouth for several days afterward, 414 00:22:59,280 --> 00:23:02,640 Speaker 2: which sounds it's truly unpleasant. And you know, after these 415 00:23:02,720 --> 00:23:05,960 Speaker 2: two thousand and one reports, the condition went mostly unnoticed 416 00:23:06,040 --> 00:23:09,359 Speaker 2: until twenty ten, when a US physician named Mark David 417 00:23:09,440 --> 00:23:12,399 Speaker 2: Munk published a paper reporting on his own experience with 418 00:23:12,480 --> 00:23:16,480 Speaker 2: taste disturbance after eating pine nuts. Doctor Monk wrote that 419 00:23:16,560 --> 00:23:19,760 Speaker 2: his symptoms began twenty four hours after eating ten to 420 00:23:19,760 --> 00:23:22,600 Speaker 2: fifteen roasted pine nuts as part of a meal. He 421 00:23:22,640 --> 00:23:26,399 Speaker 2: felt fine physically, but he had a lingering, bitter, metallic 422 00:23:26,520 --> 00:23:30,280 Speaker 2: taste in his mouth, so eating sweet food made it worse. 423 00:23:30,600 --> 00:23:34,040 Speaker 2: He tried rinsing with salt water and mouthwash, neither of 424 00:23:34,080 --> 00:23:37,280 Speaker 2: which did anything, and eventually the symptoms just went away. 425 00:23:37,880 --> 00:23:40,120 Speaker 2: And in fact, our own producer Mary had a very 426 00:23:40,160 --> 00:23:42,960 Speaker 2: similar experience in the fall of two thousand and nine. 427 00:23:43,119 --> 00:23:45,359 Speaker 2: She didn't write a paper about it, but she did 428 00:23:45,400 --> 00:23:47,640 Speaker 2: tell me that it lasted for a week, during which 429 00:23:47,640 --> 00:23:50,000 Speaker 2: time the only food she could tolerate were things that 430 00:23:50,000 --> 00:23:54,320 Speaker 2: were really sour, like grapefruit and vegetables with like vinegary dressing. 431 00:23:54,920 --> 00:23:57,400 Speaker 2: She reported it to the main Department of Health, who 432 00:23:57,520 --> 00:24:00,639 Speaker 2: and I quote told me they were very sorry to 433 00:24:00,680 --> 00:24:02,720 Speaker 2: hear it, but they had no idea what I was 434 00:24:02,760 --> 00:24:03,320 Speaker 2: talking about. 435 00:24:05,160 --> 00:24:07,600 Speaker 3: Believe it or not, I have not experienced it, but 436 00:24:07,680 --> 00:24:11,879 Speaker 3: both my wife and my younger kid experienced this probably 437 00:24:12,200 --> 00:24:15,120 Speaker 3: it was probably about a decade ago, and yeah, they 438 00:24:15,200 --> 00:24:19,560 Speaker 3: reported everything they were tasting was disgusting and in fact 439 00:24:19,600 --> 00:24:22,359 Speaker 3: it ruined the taste of a couple different things that they. 440 00:24:22,200 --> 00:24:23,520 Speaker 2: Would regularly eat or drink. 441 00:24:23,600 --> 00:24:26,800 Speaker 3: I think milk, for example, was something our kids used 442 00:24:26,800 --> 00:24:29,240 Speaker 3: to drink a lot of and after having pine mouth, 443 00:24:29,560 --> 00:24:30,400 Speaker 3: no go anymore. 444 00:24:30,400 --> 00:24:34,240 Speaker 2: It just made everything taste really bad to this day, 445 00:24:34,280 --> 00:24:35,400 Speaker 2: are they off milk now? 446 00:24:36,640 --> 00:24:39,320 Speaker 3: They don't drink a ton of milk maybe in cereal 447 00:24:39,440 --> 00:24:41,520 Speaker 3: or things like that, but yeah, the way it happened 448 00:24:41,560 --> 00:24:44,679 Speaker 3: was they then went on social media and you know, 449 00:24:44,800 --> 00:24:47,639 Speaker 3: posted sort of along the lines of Maria and we're saying, 450 00:24:47,680 --> 00:24:50,880 Speaker 3: you know, we keep everything we eat taste disgusting right now, 451 00:24:50,920 --> 00:24:53,119 Speaker 3: there is something going on with our taste buds. 452 00:24:53,200 --> 00:24:54,760 Speaker 2: What is this? Yeah? 453 00:24:54,760 --> 00:24:56,880 Speaker 3: And then a couple people chimed in and we're saying, 454 00:24:56,920 --> 00:24:59,320 Speaker 3: you know, have you eaten pine nuts recently? That sounds 455 00:24:59,320 --> 00:25:02,320 Speaker 3: like pine mouth. So fortunately crazy the collective knew what 456 00:25:02,920 --> 00:25:05,280 Speaker 3: it might have been thanks a lot pine nuts. 457 00:25:05,760 --> 00:25:07,720 Speaker 2: So do we know what causes this? Like, is this 458 00:25:07,800 --> 00:25:11,280 Speaker 2: still happening? We still don't know exactly what causes it 459 00:25:11,400 --> 00:25:14,679 Speaker 2: or why it only happens to some people. It's possible 460 00:25:14,800 --> 00:25:17,680 Speaker 2: that rancid oil in the pine nuts could be a factor, 461 00:25:18,000 --> 00:25:21,000 Speaker 2: but a more intriguing theory emerged from a Swiss lab 462 00:25:21,200 --> 00:25:24,800 Speaker 2: where researchers discovered that some commercial bags of pine nuts 463 00:25:24,800 --> 00:25:29,560 Speaker 2: included two varieties that aren't usually eaten, the Chinese white 464 00:25:29,560 --> 00:25:33,560 Speaker 2: pine and the Chinese red pine. Apparently, there are over 465 00:25:33,640 --> 00:25:36,760 Speaker 2: one hundred different species of pine nuts, only twenty nine 466 00:25:36,800 --> 00:25:39,920 Speaker 2: of which are classified as edible. Each species of pine 467 00:25:40,000 --> 00:25:43,359 Speaker 2: nut contains a slightly different mix of fatty acids, which 468 00:25:43,440 --> 00:25:47,240 Speaker 2: could lead to differences in taste or symptoms of pinemouth. 469 00:25:47,680 --> 00:25:49,560 Speaker 3: I assume there's no way to tell by just looking 470 00:25:49,600 --> 00:25:50,840 Speaker 3: what kind of pine nut you have. 471 00:25:51,520 --> 00:25:54,120 Speaker 2: Oh no, that'd be way too easy. No, pine mouth 472 00:25:54,200 --> 00:25:57,159 Speaker 2: doesn't appear to be spreading or getting worse. But if 473 00:25:57,200 --> 00:25:59,919 Speaker 2: you're really concerned, just steer clear of pine nuts and 474 00:26:00,080 --> 00:26:03,080 Speaker 2: general or bring your meal to a Swiss lab for testing, 475 00:26:03,160 --> 00:26:04,119 Speaker 2: you know, before you dig in. 476 00:26:04,920 --> 00:26:07,000 Speaker 3: That's pretty great advice, Gabe, all right, I think for 477 00:26:07,080 --> 00:26:10,800 Speaker 3: that and the incredible story about the bumb nuts, you 478 00:26:10,840 --> 00:26:12,000 Speaker 3: deserve today's trophy. 479 00:26:12,040 --> 00:26:16,120 Speaker 2: Congratulations. Hey, I'll take it. Thanks Will Well. That does 480 00:26:16,160 --> 00:26:16,640 Speaker 2: it for today. 481 00:26:16,720 --> 00:26:18,719 Speaker 3: Be sure to subscribe to the show on your favorite 482 00:26:18,760 --> 00:26:21,280 Speaker 3: podcast app. And if you enjoyed this episode, share it 483 00:26:21,320 --> 00:26:23,600 Speaker 3: with a friend. We'll be back next week. But in 484 00:26:23,640 --> 00:26:27,200 Speaker 3: the meantime, From Mango, Dylan, Gabe, Mary, and myself, thank 485 00:26:27,240 --> 00:26:27,640 Speaker 3: you so. 486 00:26:27,640 --> 00:26:28,439 Speaker 2: Much for listening. 487 00:26:40,880 --> 00:26:44,119 Speaker 1: Part time genius is a production of Kaleidoscope and iHeartRadio. 488 00:26:44,160 --> 00:26:47,120 Speaker 1: It is hosted by my good pal will Pearson, who 489 00:26:47,160 --> 00:26:49,280 Speaker 1: I've known for almost three decades now. 490 00:26:49,600 --> 00:26:51,000 Speaker 2: That is insane to me. 491 00:26:51,520 --> 00:26:56,840 Speaker 1: I'm the Utaco host, Mangeshatikular aka Mango. Our producer is 492 00:26:56,920 --> 00:26:59,960 Speaker 1: Mary Phillips Sandy. She's actually a super producer. I'm gonna 493 00:27:00,080 --> 00:27:04,040 Speaker 1: fix that in post. Our writer is Gabe Lucier, who 494 00:27:04,080 --> 00:27:06,600 Speaker 1: I've also known for like a decade at this point, 495 00:27:06,720 --> 00:27:09,879 Speaker 1: maybe more. Dylan Fagan is in the booth. He is 496 00:27:10,040 --> 00:27:13,440 Speaker 1: always dressed up, always cheering us on, and always ready 497 00:27:13,480 --> 00:27:16,199 Speaker 1: to hit record and then mix the show after he 498 00:27:16,280 --> 00:27:18,880 Speaker 1: does a great job. I also want to shout out 499 00:27:19,080 --> 00:27:22,119 Speaker 1: the executive producers from iHeart my good pals Katrina and 500 00:27:22,119 --> 00:27:26,040 Speaker 1: Norvel and Ali Perry. We have social media support from 501 00:27:26,040 --> 00:27:29,240 Speaker 1: Calypso Rallis. If you like our videos, that is all 502 00:27:29,320 --> 00:27:33,880 Speaker 1: Calypso's handiwork. For more podcasts from Kaleidoscope and iHeartRadio. Visit 503 00:27:33,920 --> 00:27:38,280 Speaker 1: the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or tune in wherever you 504 00:27:38,320 --> 00:27:41,120 Speaker 1: listen to your favorite shows. That's it from us here 505 00:27:41,200 --> 00:27:44,160 Speaker 1: at Part Time Genius. Thank you so much for listening.