I once lived in an old part of Norfolk, Virginia, in an historical area that had beautiful Japanese Ginkgo trees (Ginkgo biloba) growing alongside a small park. Ginkgo trees (also spelled Gingko) are one of the most primitive species of tree found anywhere on earth. In fact, they are so primitive that the trees actually have gender. The female trees produce ginkgo flower pods that — well, smell just like ripe doggie poop.
No kidding.
One afternoon while walking my dog, Rupert, I discovered an Asian woman collecting the fallen Ginkgo fruit. Pinching my nose with my little finger sticking up the same way some aristocrats drink tea, I inquired what she was going to do with the foul-smelling pods.
“Eat them,” she replied.
“Oh?” I exhaled in a deep nasal tone, enlivened with crisp, eau de poopé.
Several days later I met the same woman again under the flowering Ginkgo tree. This time she handed me a small bag of prepared gingko beans. “Try some,” she offered. “I cooked them today.”
“Uh, no thanks,” I stammered. She insisted. I peered into the bag, where, instead of a mushy pile of fruit, I discovered a sack full of aromatic nutty bean-things.
I tossed one in my mouth. They were sweet and nutty. Great.
The next weekend, as a faint breeze curdled amid the boughs of the flowering Ginkgo tree, the old woman and I collected poo-poo pods side by side.
Tim says: want to see a beautiful Ginkgo tree?
(The pods are at the bottom left.)
LOL! Well, at least now you have an excuse!! I can’t use Gingko beans as an excuse for MY weirdness. Any ideas?
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I thought this part was interesting when I read the link you supplied about the gingko tree.
“When eaten in large quantities (over 5 seeds a day) or over a long period, especially by children[26] the gametophyte (meat) of the seed can cause poisoning by MPN (4-methoxypyridoxine). MPN is heat stable and not destroyed by cooking[27]. Studies have demonstrated that convulsions caused by MPN can be prevented or terminated with pyridoxine.”
Wow. How many did you eat?
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Hmmm. This was back in the early 70s. By golly — maybe THAT explains my weirdness these past 40 years!
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so, how does one cook them?
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The seeds are very hard. I believe they are generally boiled and steamed. Search “gingko+recipe“. Here’s one of them.
I get a kick out this article’s description of the smell. “The scent is ripe and animal: it is like a wet dog that has rolled around in cheese.”
In other words, a polite way to say, doggie poop!
They are also called Gingko NUTS. As in, pine nuts. Needless to say, the “animal” aroma disappears with proper cleaning and preparation.
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En francais “merde du chien” sounds so much more elegant and palatable.
Timothy from Canada
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This was very informative. I enjoyed reading all about gingko trees as I have seen those yellow leaves around Ottawa.
I phoned the Japanes Embassy and a VERY helpful lady said the embassy on one of our more stately ceremonial routes did not have a tree but the residence did. It is in one of ambassadorial enclaves north of me and not too far.
I am in negotiations with the Chinese Embassy for information. It is the most obscurantist organisations is has been my displeasure to deal with.
You have to go through a three-language menu – English, French, Mandarin – and then be informed that they go to lunch for TWO HOURS.
When you call back the operator never answers the general number and they refer you to “Education” where you have to hang up and redial another number because they don’t believe in anything as easy as an extension.
When you go to the extension none of the answering features have been “initialised”.
Apparently education and communication are not priorities in the minds of Chinese officialdom.
I would like the Chinese representatives in Canada to at least attempt to give some kind of information about one of their more unique botanical specimens.
You were very lucky, Tim, to have run across a ginko tree in one of your past lives.
My investigations continue to slog on and will informs IF and when I make contact with the elusive Sino-Mother-Ship.
Timothy from Canada
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Tim, check this out. Was in my Google Reader today also:
http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/10/the-nasty-bits-gingko-nuts.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+seriouseatsfeaturesvideos+%28Serious+Eats%29&utm_content=Google+Reader
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Carol,
Great site! Which, to me means one I visit and suddenly it’s an hour later and I’m still clicking away. Thanks for the link.
–Tim
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I walked to school and I passed a long retaining wall that had 3 of these beautiful trees growing on top of it. I was curious about them and choose them as a topic for an English essay assignment. I used them as a Girl Scout badge award subject. I have been gone from my home town for some 50 years now and I often think about the trees and wonder if they are still there. In the fall the leaves were the prettiest shade of yellow.
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A most interesting tree..When I lived in Indiana, I used to collect wild persimmons. They were an attractive fruit that was bright orange while hanging on the tree, but extremely pungent similar to a choke-cherrry. You would have to wait till they turned brown, pulpy and looked rotten ;thats when they released their sugar. I would process the fruit in a food mill to remove the 4 almond size seeds and freeze the pulp in pint size containers. Persimmon pudding was to die for, also, cakes, pies , muffins and quick breads.
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You certainly do the strangest things!
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Dear Ms. George,
You, too, have noticed that about our most singular Mr. Lee.
I am gratified that he has survived his many travails to entertain and bemuse us in the first decade of the 21st century.
Who knows WHAT delights await us when he digs deeper into his memory box?
Timothy from Canada
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