This was an unusual tree I noticed in my neighborhood and it took me some time to identify. But when I did I was delighted to learn it is quite edible.
Processing the seeds was a bit of a chore and I only ended up with a small handful for my trouble but it was still a fun experiment.
They are sweet and starchy, like a small chestnut. Tasty and if they were bigger they would be quite worth the effort.
So, test your ID skills: can anyone figure out what tree these are from? Hint: it’s a food I doubt many English speakers have ever tried, though it should look a little familiar…
Answer if you give up
Castanopsis, generally known as chinkapin, though not the same as North American chinkapins. Read more on Wikipedia: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castanopsis
Cocoa is the seed of a big fleshy fruit. They come in big clumps.