The Fabulous History of Pecans
Just about every food we eat has an origin. Every morsel has a story. And yet, when it comes to nuts like pecans, they are often left out of the narrative. But why? Pecans and other nuts – tree or otherwise – are nutritional powerhouses. They deserve to have an in-depth backstory just as much as grandma’s Italian spaghetti.
Food transports us to another place. It stimulates the imagination. And it need not be a complex dish or fancy preparation. The mere look, smell, and taste of a thing can make our senses prickle and bring us to the story of that food. So, what’s the pecan’s story? This most humble of tree nuts certainly does have a backstory, but do you know what it is?
In today’s all-things-pecan blog post, we’ll introduce you to our friend, the pecan. What’s the pecan’s story and where did the pecan come from? The next time you bite down on that delicious pecan pie or a pecan-crusted salmon with lemon glaze, you’ll be transported right back here to this moment when you learned the backstory of our favorite nut, our friend, the pecan.
Take a Step Back into Pecan History
Let’s start at the very beginning. What’s Pecan’s history? First, it is important to remember that pecans are tree nuts. Some would say tree nuts are the best kind, but we’ll let you decide on that one. As for pecans, while their use as food can be dated back to the 16th century, the coolest thing about pecans is that they are the only major tree nut that grows naturally in North America.
As we mentioned in a previous blog, the name pecan is of Algonquin origin. The Algonquins were a North American Indian tribe located on the Ottawa and St. Lawrence rivers in Canada and the United States. It was there that pecans were a food staple during the cold winter months. It wasn’t the squirrels alone stashing pecans for the winter. Today hundreds of pecan varieties are still known by their given Native American names like Cheyenne, Sioux, Choctaw, Kiowa, and Creek.
Still, pecans did not originate in Canada. They are North American, but their roots – pun intended – can be traced to our neighbor to the south, Mexico. And yet, pecans gained popularity to the point where they are featured in a story involving two of our founding fathers, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. After a trip down south during the height of tensions with Britain, Jefferson returned to Virginia where he introduced George Washington to pecan nuts and seedlings. It is well-known today that both men planted and grew pecan trees on their property.
At the end of the civil war, Union soldiers coming home from the southern Confederate states would bring pecans back to their families, which helped spread the love of this wonderful nut far and wide across the country.
The Pecan Goes Global
Meanwhile, pecans had made their way across the pond and were delighting kings, queens, and prime ministers. No one could get enough of this smooth, creamy, and delicious tree nut. Many explorers were chomping at the bit to get large quantities of pecans to eager European hands. At the time, the world’s intrepid explorers were the Spaniards, and it was Spanish colonists that both brought them home and planted vast pecan orchards across the American south and Mexico in the late 1600s and early 1700s.
By the end of the 1700s, pecans had made a name for themselves all over the world. They had become increasingly popular, and farmers and entrepreneurs were beginning to see the economic potential in these amazing nuts. Used as an ingredient or snack, pecans were a hit.
In 1802, pecans were exported by the French to the West Indies. In 1822, a man from South Carolina named Abner Landrum discovered a new pecan budding technique and at that point, the sky was the limit. With this new farming technique, pecan plants could be grafted with wild plants by planting them near each other. A better pecan was the result.
Slow and Steady Wins the Pecan Race
Interestingly, pecan madness died down in the mid-1800s. Obviously, people still ate pecans and found them to be delicious nuts, but the next big innovation in the world of pecans came in 1876 when an African American gardener in Louisiana named Antoine replicated the same pecan grafting technique from 50 years earlier. And what was the result of this chance pecan grafting?
Well, Antoine would wind up taking his pecans to the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exposition and winning the Best Pecan award. This truly was an award-winning pecan! This variation of pecan would continue growing in popularity after the exposition. Eventually, pecans would boom into a massively popular commodity.
And that’s when the pecan explosion happened. Once big business got involved, it was all over. It was around 1880 that the pecan industry began to boom when Louisiana and Texas nurserymen learned of pecan grafting and began propagation on a commercial level. Yet, it wasn’t until 1920 that true mass commercial production of pecans began in earnest. Commercial pecan farming had begun and soon Americans and global citizens were enjoying the delicious taste and fantastic health benefits of pecans!
Since then, the pecan harvest has risen from 2.2 million pounds 100 years ago to around 250 million pounds today. This makes the United States the world’s largest producer of pecans, and they are exported worldwide. The pecan’s popularity should not be a big surprise. They are a very versatile nut that can easily be added to salads, desserts, and other delectable recipes. Or they can be tossed in your mouth as-is for a healthy and tasty snack.
Who are the Top Pecan Consumers?
As the world’s top pecan grower and exporter, it should be no surprise that U.S. consumers consume the most pecans globally. Approximately 64,900 metric tons of pecans were consumed in the country in 2016. Imagine what that number is today. Now, here is an interesting fact. Even though the US is the largest pecan producer in the world, the demand is often higher than the production. As a result, the U.S. often imports more pecans from Mexico.
Mexico is the second-highest producer and consumer of pecans after the US. Mexico is also the leading exporter of pecans, accounting for 62% of all exports. It exports mainly to the US and some European countries, but it also imported approximately 779 metric tons in 2019 alone, to supplement local production.
Coming in third is Canada. Considering the pecan is a native North American nut, it should be no surprise that the top three consumers of pecans are right here in North America. Canada is not a big producer of pecans, but it is most definitely one of the largest pecan consumers. It relies mainly on imports to meet the local demand, being the second-largest importer after the US. Canada gets most of its pecans from the US, importing approximately 25% of the total export from its neighbor to the south.
Fun Final Details About Your Favorite Nut
But wait… are you ready for this? Pecans aren’t nuts! That’s right. Technically, they are fruit. How you ask? Well, pecans are seeds inside of a "drupe," which is a fruit that is classified as having a pit that contains a seed inside of a harder outer shell.
Here’s another fun one for you. Did you know that pecans have been to space? We’re fairly certain there are few nuts in the world that can lay claim to the title of “Astronut!” Do you like how we did that? Even better, pecans have been to the moon not just once, but twice! Astronauts have taken pecans with them on two separate Apollo space missions.
Wow, how fun, right? We hope you’ve enjoyed this romp through the history of pecans. It’s as rich and varied as pecans themselves. Now, get out there and make some history by eating more pecans!