Carya cathayensis

Carya cathayensis, commonly called Chinese hickory,^[1] is a species of hickory native to China, where it is known as shanhetao (Chinese: 山核桃). It is valued for its edible nuts.

Carya cathayensis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Fagales
Family:	Juglandaceae
Genus:	Carya
Section:	Carya sect. Sinocarya
Species:	C. cathayensis
Binomial name
Carya cathayensis Sarg.

Description

Roasted Chinese hickory nuts from Hangzhou

The tree is slow growing and reaches a height of 20 meters, growing mostly on mountain slopes, valleys, and riverbanks from 400-1,500 meters in elevation and typically found in the provinces of Anhui, Guizhou, Jiangxi, and Zhejiang.^[2][3]

As food

Approximately 5,000 tons of hickory nuts can be produced from 16,000 hectares of trees, with the nuts being roasted or made into candy, and the oil used for cooking.^[4] Peeled and roasted nuts, known as shanhetaoren (山核桃仁), are a well-known specialty of Hangzhou.^{[citation needed]}