Pinoli Pinenuts Highly Commended

It was great to try so many of New Zealand's finest regional food - it was definitely a difficult decision picking the winners - so much so that we had to have "highly commended" and "ones to watch" categories!

Pinoli Pine Nuts are ivory-coloured, have a satiny surface appearance, and a crisp bite when you eat them. These are all hallmarks of freshness of the product and careful preparation of the kernels.  You may notice that they are a little longer and slimmer than Chinese pine nuts and we think that when used whole, they make a more elegant preparation in any recipe to which they are added. Pine nuts have a long shelf life if stored properly but can become yellow or waxy-looking if stored for too long or if poorly prepared from the cones.

1.      What made you start your business?
For the last 13 years since we started our only goal was to get New Zealand grown, harvested and prepared pine nuts to market on a sufficient scale to be a viable business.

2.      What are the key principles and philosophy of your business?  
We aim to ensure we consistently deliver the freshest and best tasting pine nuts available anywhere in the world for our growing group of satisfied local customers. We had a big debate over this question. Pine nuts are a versatile food with many uses in sweet and savoury dishes. One of our favourite sweet dishes is Pinoli pine nut and lemon tart. Eggs and Pinoli pine nuts on toast is a perfect way to taste them at their best in a savoury dish. See our website for the recipes CLICK HERE.

3.      What is your favourite way to eat your product, or favourite recipe that uses your product?  
We had a big debate over this question. Pine nuts are a versatile food with many uses in sweet and savoury dishes. One of our favourite sweet dishes is Pinoli pine nut and lemon tart. Eggs and Pinoli pine nuts on toast is a perfect way to taste them at their best in a savoury dish. See our website for the recipes.

4.      What is the most interesting thing a customer has done with your product that you know of?  
A fellow stall-holder at the Marlborough Farmers Market  makes fig and pine nut salami from our pine nuts and locally grown figs.

5.      Why do you like selling at farmers markets?  
It's the two way interaction with customers who are knowledgeable and who care about where their food comes from. Showing our customers how pine nuts are produced is very satisfying and learning from interesting and intelligent customers on the history and uses of pine nuts  has been a fantastic experience.

« Back to news