Kashmiri Walnut Grades Explained: Snow White, Light and Amber

Kashmir grows most of India's walnuts, on tall old trees across the valley. When the kernels are shelled, they are sorted by colour. That colour is the grade, and it matters more than most people realise.

The grades

• Snow white / extra light: the palest kernels, creamy white to very light gold. The mildest, sweetest taste with almost no bitterness. The rarest and most expensive.
• Light: light golden-brown. Still sweet, with a little more walnut flavour. This is the best choice for most people, and what we sell.
• Light amber: noticeably darker, with a stronger and slightly more bitter taste. Good for cooking and baking.
• Amber / dark: dark brown kernels with a pronounced bitter edge. Cheapest, and best kept for recipes where other flavours dominate.

Halves and pieces

Kernels are also sorted by size. Halves (sometimes called butterflies) are the whole kernel split neatly in two. Quarters and pieces are broken kernels. Pieces are cheaper and perfectly good for cooking. Halves keep fresher for longer because less of the kernel is exposed to air.

Why colour changes

Colour depends on the tree, the weather at harvest and, above all, on age and storage. Walnuts are rich in oil, and that oil slowly oxidises. A kernel that was light at harvest can darken and turn bitter if it sits in a warm shop for months.

How to keep walnuts fresh

• Store them in an airtight container.
• Keep them in the fridge, or freeze them if you bought a lot.
• Smell before you eat: fresh walnuts smell sweet and nutty; stale ones smell like paint or old oil.

What to buy

For eating by the handful, choose light halves. For baking, chutneys and cooking, light amber pieces give you the flavour at a better price.