Pine nuts are delicious in a pasta or salad, but if you are unlucky, you can get a bitter taste in your mouth after eating the wrong pine nut.
The bad taste often only occurs two days after eating pine nuts, which is why the link with pine nuts is not always made. The bitter metallic taste can linger for up to two weeks, but usually the first four days are the worst. It can even make sure that nothing tastes you anymore. But:it does not affect everyone and fortunately it does not apply to all pine nuts.
It seems that only Chinese pine nuts cause occasional taste deviations. The taste is caused by triglycerides. The substance is not harmful to health and that is perhaps one of the reasons why not much additional research has been done on the problem.
Check the label to see if a country of origin is known. Often it is not on the packaging. You can tell where they come from by the shape of pine nuts. Chinese pine nuts are slightly rounder and rounder, while European pine nuts are slightly more elongated. It is therefore best to choose the latter form just to be sure. Read more about recognizing the pine nuts.
