What Nut Is Not a Nut?

Some examples of true nuts include acorns, chestnuts, and hazelnuts. On the other hand, the fruits of the cashew, almond, and pistachio plants are not true nuts, but are rather classified as “drupes.” Drupes are fruits that are fleshy on the outside and contain a shell covering a seed on the inside.

Why is a peanut not a nut?

Even though peanut has the word “nut” in the name, it's not really a nut at all. It's actually a legume. Peanuts are legumes, which are edible seeds enclosed in pods, and are in the same family as beans, lentils, and peas.

What nut is not a nut but a seed?

The desert plant called the pistachio tree is a member of the cashew family, and as we've mentioned before: cashews are not a nut. The food that we think of as a pistachio nut, is actually the seed of the pistachio tree, shown here.