Ginkgo: Stinky Dinosaur Nuts

Once upon a time, Ginkgo was a dinosaur booby trap. Their seeds, stinking like vomit, lured ancient scavengers by mimicking the smell of a rotting dinosaur carcass. After a bite, the dinosaurs realised they’d been punked, spat out their snack, and unwittingly spread the seed.

Trees in the Ginkgo family have existed for more than 300 million years. Ginkgo biloba is the only species left in its entire family of trees.

The leaves look unmistakable. Each leaf is fan-shaped, often with a distinct notch in the middle. I like to imagine the bush fairies flap their green ginkgo fans in the summer heat.

There are veins radiating down the leaf, splitting into multiple veins along its length. It’s deciduous, with leaves turning golden yellow in autumn. As they shed, the wing-like leaf catches the air, drifting downwards like a fluttering butterfly.

Ginkgo trees have gender: male, female, and genderqueer (genderqueer isn't really what they're called, but hermaphroditism is a tricky ​​​word.)

Male trees release clouds of pollen, perfectly adapted for dispersal by wind. Since they predate bees and beetles, they rely on the wind to spread their pollen.

Male pollen cones

Female trees grow "fruits"... sort of. Strictly speaking, they’re seeds wrapped in a stinky, not-technically-fruit covering. Female trees play hard to get, their ovules maturing a little later than the males’ pollen release. And it works: this little delay increases the odds of a successful hookup, pollen reaching the ovules just at the right moment.

Occasionally, ginkgos pull a surprise: they can fully swap sex, and no one really knows why. What's even more remarkable, males sometimes grow a female branch (the demigirls of the tree world), and—rarer still—females can sprout a male branch.

During the ice age, the numbers of ginkgo trees were drastically reduced. Fossil evidence suggests that ginkgo, which was widespread throughout the globe, survived only in small patches in China.

They have very limited genetic diversity – only a few trees would have survived the last ice age.

Chinese people have an amazing history of caring for Ginkgo trees, and their survival is attributed to human intervention. They were often planted in Buddhist or Taoist gardens. Monks nurtured these trees, and cultivation in these spaces helped preserve the species during periods when wild populations diminished.

I like to think they've survived because they have some divinely appointed purpose for our world. They are medicinal and have many health benefits.

If you have really struggled with your health, you know there's no magic fixes. Sometimes people push alternative medicine like it's a miracle solution, but they're often as effective as a coffee enema. But ginkgo is a medicine with a plethora of studies and research to back it up.

While many plants contain flavonoids, ginkgo has a unique combination which are especially effective at crossing the blood-brain barrier, protecting blood vessels and neurons from oxidative damage. Ginkgo's compounds also improve blood flow and circulation, especially in the brain. Ginkgo is helpful for many conditions, but especially in preventing and improving dementia.

Studies show dementia patients who take ginkgo daily for a month, had a 25% improvement in symptoms. While you can fork out stupid amounts of money for it at the chemist, it's very easy to forage it yourself.   There's heaps of ginkgos that line nature strips in Carlton, but those areas are a bit polluted. For some really pristine trees, check out the University of Melbourne and Monash Uni. Many people have them in gardens, so if you're lucky, some will be spilling out over the fence.

Warning:

Ginkgo nuts contain ginkgotoxin, which—fun fact—is toxic in large amounts. Stick to no more than 10 nuts per day, and only if they’re cooked. Raw nuts are a no-go. Ginkgo leaves have a much smaller quantity of ginkgotoxin, but still limit yourself to a few cups of tea or 2 mL of tincture per day. And if you’re pregnant, just don’t. Too much can cause seizures—which is significantly less fun than it sounds. If you think you’ve overdone it, call the Poisons Information Centre: 131 126.

Eating too much of anything is unsafe, and might make you shit your pants. Consider yourself warned.

Ginkgo leaves can be used to make tea or tincture. For maximum health benefits, a tincture is more effective than tea.

Tincture Instructions:

• Harvest leaves just as they begin to turn yellow (March-April). Green leaves work too but are less potent.

• Dry the leaves using a dehydrator or oven on the lowest setting.

• Pack a jar with dried leaves and cover completely with vodka or high-proof alcohol (40% ABV minimum).

• Let sit for 4-6 weeks in a dark place, shaking occasionally.

• Strain and store in a dark glass bottle.

• Dosage: 1-2 mL daily.

Tea: The tea is also delightful. It tastes like green tea with a hint of spice. Steep 5–10 leaves in boiling water for 10 minutes. The leaves can be fresh or dried. Ginkgo Jelly: Combine 4 cups of ginkgo tea, ½ cup caster sugar, and 2 heaped tablespoons of powdered gelatine. Stir until disolved, then let cool slightly. Add 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice, then pour into moulds or a bowl. Refrigerate overnight to set.

Cooked Ginkgo Nuts:  To harvest ginkgo nuts, start by locating a female ginkgo tree—which is harder than it sounds because people generally avoid planting them (no one wants to walk past that distinctive corpse-like smell). I’ve heard there’s one near Monash University. Collect the fallen fruit from the ground using an inside-out plastic bag, avoiding direct contact with your skin, as the fruit can cause irritation. Squeeze out the hard, cream-colored nut from inside the fruit. Dispose of the stinky remains back under the tree unless you wanna cause your fellow tram commuters to gag on the ride home.

Once you're home, rinse them thoroughly under running water to remove any remaining funk.

Must be Cooked Roast: 15 mins at 175°C until shells crack. Or Boil: 15 mins, then smack them open with a hammer. Limit yourself to 10 nuts a day. Yes, I'm repeating myself because that's important. They taste a bit like edamame, pinenuts and chestnuts. Enjoy with a sprinkling of salt, in soups, stir-fries or Asian desserts.