Brazil Nuts

Though Brazil nuts are touted for their health benefits, for us, it's all about their luxurious flavor and texture. The nuts' high fat content make them creamy and rich; grated, they're a ringer for coconut—you can use the shavings to finish all kinds of dishes— and they're wonderful raw, roasted, or added to baked goods. In Brazil, where the nuts grow on trees, nestled like orange segments in coconutlike pods, they're ground for soups, including a silky version made with cream and pomegranate.