Crunchy yet buttery textured, pleasantly sweet, and delicious pine nuts are small edible seeds (kernels) of the female cone on a pine tree. Pine kernels are, indeed, a splendid source of plant-derived nutrients, essential minerals, vitamins, and "heart-friendly" monounsaturated fatty acids that help health immensely by reducing bad cholesterol levels in the blood.

Furthermore, pine nuts contain healthy amounts of essential minerals like manganese, potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, and selenium. At 8.802 mg per 100 g (about 383% of daily recommended intake), pines are one of the richest sources of manganese. Manganese is an all-important co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase. Therefore, consumption of pine kernels helps the human body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful oxygen-free radicals.

Botanically, pines belong to the family of Pinaceae, in the genus: Pinus. Some of the common names are pinon nuts, pignoli, cedar nuts, chilgoza, pinyon pinenuts, etc.