What’s That Stench? Your Next Snack, Gingko Biloba

Wednesday, October 08, 2014

Amélie Rousseau, GoLocalPDX Contributor

Gingko leaves

So you’re walking to your first day of class at Reed College when you get a whiff of something nasty on the sidewalk. Like, worse than the time that chipmunk crawled into the air conditioner and died. You look down at your feet and notice yellow trampled fruits all over the concrete, emitting an odor somewhere between durian and fresh vomit.

Despite the smell, the culprit tree is quite pretty, with a strong trunk and elegant, fan-shaped leaves that turn buttery gold in the fall. But still, why would a city landscaper plant a tree that smells this bad?

Chances are, they didn’t mean to.

Gingko trees (Gingko biloba) are often called living dinosaurs, as today’s variety remains almost unchanged from their prehistoric ancestors. Some living specimens are 2,500 years old. Gingko trees are famously indestructible, performing well in high-pollution, high-density areas, making gingko a perfect candidate to line busy metropolis streets.

The Huffington Post reports that cities such as Washington, D.C., Boston, and Santa Monica, Calif., are hopping aboard the gingko train.

Gingkos are dioecious, with the females producing the infamous vomit fruit. And because it takes a few years to identify the tree’s gender, sometimes a female gets planted instead of a male.

But one woman’s vomit is another woman’s medicinal war chest. Just ask the Chinese, who discovered the power of the Gingko tree oh, you know, 10,000 years before us.

Gingkos are sacred symbols of longevity in the Far East, and are often planted outside temples and shrines. If you’re lucky enough to happen upon a vomity tree, you might have to elbow a few elderly Chinese ladies out of the way for your share of the free memory power!

Eat Your Nuts

Both gingko nuts and leaves are edible. Gingko contains "ginkgolides," which are known to improve blood circulation to the eyes, ears and brain. More blood means an improved memory and a more agile mind. Although they are often recommended for older persons to curb the onset of Alzheimer’s and dementia, everyone can benefit from gingko’s boost to circulation.

Tender spring leaves are delicious raw in salads, and can also be dried to make tea. Try powdering the leaves in a spice grinder to mix into grandma’s hot cocoa.

The real culinary jewel is the delicious gingko nut. Pick fallen fruits that are very ripe and squishy, so the seeds inside will squish out cleanly. Wash the nuts off well and roast on a baking sheet at 350 F for 20 to 30 minutes. The nuts will open slightly, like pistachios, to reveal their striking, jade-green insides. Crack them open fresh out of the oven, tossed with a dash of savory tamari. Do as the Japanese and serve these as a healthful aperitif snack. Extra roasted nuts can be frozen for later use.

So if you smell vomit on the sidewalk this fall, just smile and reach for the nearest paper bag. Happy hunting.

An urban farmer and master gardener, Amélie Rousseau writes for fellow explorers and eaters of the plant kingdom. It's a jungle out there.