The Shagbark Hickory Nut: Is It the Finest Native American Nut?

By Amy Trubek

“THEY ARE THE NOBILITY of nuts,” the chef Odessa Piper says, “what the black truffle is to mushrooms.” Shagbark hickory nuts have “more flavor... more snap, more tooth-feel than either pecans or walnuts.” Unlike most nuts, toasting is required to intensify their flavor and create the shattering texture that makes them unique. Shagbark hickory (Carya ova…