(le Róislín)

Seo an tríú cuid den tsraith (torthaí, glasraí, cnónna, glasraí pischineálacha /léagúim).  This is the third part of the series on “Seeds, Ovules, and Tubers,” and it will focus on na cnónna (the nuts) and na glasraí pischineálacha (the legumes).  So what exactly are these food items?

pónairí soighe (cineál léagúim) Image: Scott Bauer, USDA

Again, looking at this more from the perspective of a teangeolaí rather than that of a luibheolaí, here are the words for some of the key features:

Cnónna (nuts) — is torthaí iad ach seo cuid de na difríochtaí idir chnónna agus thorthaí go ginearálta.  Tá siad a) tirim, b) crua, c) neamhoscailteach, agus d) níl ach síol amháin acu agus e) fad m’eolais ní itear an mogall. 

a) tirim [TIRzh-im], dry (also lá tirim, talamh tirim, srl.)

b) crua [KROO-uh], hard, re: surfaces, work, etc.  “Deacair” means “hard” or “difficult” regarding work, etc.

c) neamhoscailteach, indehiscent (not opening at maturity)

d) Ní bhíonn ach síol amháin istigh ann (sa chuid is mó de chnónna)

e) mogall [MOG-ul, yeah, almost like J. K. Rowling’s “Muggle; at any rate, not like “movie moguls,” since the English word “mogul” has an “oh” sound]  “Mogall” means “shell,” or “husk,” “shell,” or “pod,” depending on context.  It can also mean a “globular mass” in general and with the word “súil,” it can also mean “eyeball” (mogall súile).  It’s a trickyish word to use, sometimes, since “mogall cnó” usually means “nut shell” but “mogall cnónna” means “cluster of nuts.”  “Nutshells” would be “mogaill chnónna.”

“Mogall” could be contrasted with 1) “blaosc,” used for uibheacha and portáin and also for cnónna, 2) “poigheachán” for seilidí (remember the song popularized by the Clancy Brothers, “seilide seilide púca, put out your horns”?), and 3) “sliogán” for ruacain, oisrí, srl.

Agus chomh maith leis an méid sin thuas, fásann cnónna ar chrainn (seachas an “Arachis hypogaea,” aka “cnó talún,” earth-nut).

Finally, I note, per Wikipedia that certain “nuts” (almóinní, cnónna peacáin, cnónna piostáise, gallchnónna, cnónna Brasaíleacha, srl.) are not nuts in the botanical sense but they are in the culinary sense.  All of which sounds like ábhar a lán blaganna eile.

Glasraí Pischineálacha (Léagúim).  Seo príomhthréithe na léagúm.  NB: Ní go díreach glasraí iad, ach torthaí.  Mar sin ní bheidh mé ag úsáid an téarma “glasra pischineálach” agus mé ag caint fúthu as seo amach.  Maidir le léagúim go ginearálta, tá siad a) san fhine Leguminosae (ach ní d’fhine amháin atá na cnónna), b) méanoscailteach, agus de ghnáth c) tá an fhaighneog atá thart ar na pónairí, síolta, srl. cineál bog (ach níl sí chomh bog le rud atá “laíonach”)

a) fine [FIN-yuh], “family” for scientific naming; it also means “family group” and “race” and can by used in the names of political parties, such as Fine Gael.   Maidir le bheith ag rá go bhfuil na léagúim san fhine Leguminosae, tá a fhios agam go bhfuil sin cineál athluaiteach (tautological) ach ní fheicim dóigh ar bith eile le sin a rá.

b) méanoscailteach, dehiscent (opening of its own accord upon ripening, usually splitting into two halves); literally, this intriguing word means “opening (n)-opening (adj)” (méan + oscailteach)

c) bog, soft.  Remember, “bog” has the Irish short “o,” as in “pota.” It’s not like English “bog,” which is more like “bahg.”  This word is also seen in “bogbhruite” ([BOG-VRIH-tchuh], soft-boiled) and “bogchroíoch” ([BOG-KHREE-ukh], soft-hearted), and many other compounds.  But it’s not the “b-o-g-” of “boglas” which means “ox-tongue” (the plant, that is, aka in English “bugloss,” which gives us the Irish).

Chomh maith leis sin, fásann a lán léagúm ar fhéithleoga (sin an pictiúr atá i mo cheann) ach fásann roinnt acu ar chrainn (an crann lócaiste agus an “Kentucky coffeetree,” crann a bhfásann pónairí air atá cosúil le pónairí caife ach ní pónairí caife iad) 

Looking a little further into it, I see that there are numerous “legume trees,” cinn ó Shrí Lanca, ón Astráil, agus ó Nua-Shéalainn, ach ní shílim go n-itear a bpónairí go minic in Éirinn nó i Meiriceá Thuaidh.  Ní raibh a fhios agam go raibh a leithéid ann go dtí gur thosaigh mé an blag seo a scríobh.  So writing any further about “legume trees” is going be way backburned for blog topics here.  Unless, of course, someone asks!

Tá saenna (an druga purgóideach) agus míomós san fhine Leguminosae freisin, ach níl a fhios agam an itear iad.  Le bheith cruinn, tá fine ag an míomós é féin (Mimosaceae), ach is cuid de “Leguminosae” iad na “Mimosaceae.”  Mh’anam!

Hmm, an cnó é an cnó cócó (coconut)?  Níl mé cinnte.  Tusa?  Ach níl spás fágtha; sin ceist do bhlag éigin eile (nó b’fhéidir do luibheolaí, nó Haváíoch ar an liosta). 

Well, all of this started with the question, “An toradh nó glasra é an puimcín?”  While it’s not always easy, especially for a neamhluibheolaí like myself, to classify plants in exact categories (i gclóiséidíní?), I hope this 3-part series has given you some terminology for discussing them.  Ábhar machnaimh, ar a laghad.

Maybe next up, ainmneacha torthaí agus glasraí iad féin?  Cé acu is fearr leat?  Cad iad na hoidis is fearr leat, go mór mór oidis don am seo den bhliain (Lá Altaithe agus an Nollaig i Meiriceá agus oidis Nollag in Éirinn agus i dtíortha eile).  SGF agus más maith leat a bheith ag cócaireacht, fan “tiúnta” — Róislín

P.S. Agus b’fhéidir gur mhaith leat leabhar nua Aedín Ní Ghadhra a fháil: Gourmet Ní Ghadhra (http://www.coisceim.ie/gourmet.html).  According to this book’s blurba, it’s designed for Irish learners and also for those learning to cook.  And if you were ever wondering what the Irish for “gourmet” is, sin é.  Focal iasachta i nGaeilge agus focal iasachta i mBéarla freisin.