Seeds, breadnut tree seeds, raw

Breadnut tree seeds, from the Maya breadnut or ramon tree, are typically boiled, roasted, or ground once dried, since raw seeds are dense and starchy rather than something eaten out of hand. Boiled seeds have a texture similar to a boiled chestnut or potato and are traditionally mashed, added to stews, or dried and milled into a flour used for porridges, breads, tortillas, and drinks in parts of Central America, where the tree has long served as a backup starch crop alongside corn. Roasted seeds are sometimes ground and brewed as a coffee-like beverage, a use that has persisted in areas where the tree grows wild.

Buy or gather seeds that are firm and unblemished, and store dried seeds in a cool, dry, airtight container, since once ground into flour they can pick up moisture and clump. At 217 calories per 100 grams (28 grams, or 8 to 14 seeds, per serving) with 46.3 grams of carbohydrate and just under a gram of fat, this is a starchy seed better used as a grain or potato substitute than a snacking nut. It also brings vitamin C at 30% DV, unusual for a seed, plus potassium at 25% DV, so working the boiled seeds or milled flour into a stew, porridge, or flatbread adds carbohydrate energy alongside those two nutrients in a way a typical starchy staple would not.