Paradeis Black Walnut Pesto

Paradeis Black Walnut Pesto, fruity and savory

The Paradeis Black Walnut Pesto from Fink's Delikatessen is a savory tomato pesto featuring the rarity of pickled black walnuts, combined with cashews, cheese, and herbs. Fruity, nutty, unusual.

Paradeis Black Walnut Pesto is a fruity-savory tomato pesto from Bettina Fink-Haberl's kitchen. 35 percent fully ripe tomatoes – known as "Paradeiser" in Austria – meet 11 percent pickled black walnuts, along with olive oil, cashews, cheese, garlic, and herbs. A pairing you will rarely find anywhere else. Black walnuts are among the house's most popular specialties.

Fruity tomato meets dark nut

In the jar, the pesto is dark red with black specks, the aroma spicy and fruity. Even the eyes anticipate something special.

At the forefront is the sweet tomato, followed by the black walnut with its deep, almost malty-savory note. Cashews and cheese add creaminess, while chili and garlic provide spice. Fruity, nutty, savory.

A pesto with personality, not your average bland spread. Once you have tasted a black walnut, you will recognize it immediately. This is exactly what makes it a hidden gem for those looking for something new.

With pasta, meat, and on a cheese platter

Paradeis Black Walnut Pesto is a hearty all-rounder; 1 spoonful is often enough.

It is at its most full-bodied when stirred into warm pasta; it also goes well with potatoes, grilled meat, fried fish, cheese platters, and snacks. A spoonful on toasted bread is a little appetizer in itself. Because it is so robust, a little goes a long way, so the 115-gram jar lasts for a while. It also adds joy and immediate flavor to tomato sauces or paired with a strong hard cheese.

In contrast, the Pumpkin Pesto is green and nutty. Both can be found in Pesto & Chutneys by Fink's Delikatessen.

The black walnut, a rare specialty

What makes this pesto special is the pickled black walnut.

For these, green, still-soft walnuts are picked before St. John's Day, June 24th, pierced multiple times, and soaked in water for weeks—changing the water daily—until they turn jet black. Then, they are ripened in a sugar syrup with spices and vanilla.

By then, the shell and kernel are so soft that the nut can be pierced with wooden skewers. Caution: The green walnuts stain hands black; it is best to work with gloves. The soaking process alone takes several weeks before the nuts are steeped in the warm syrup. The walnuts come from Styria, Burgenland, and Hungary.

Bettina Fink-Haberl, who founded her manufactory in 2002, uses these to create her unusual pesto with fully ripe tomatoes and herbs. For over 20 years, the black walnut has been a centerpiece of the house. The black walnuts are also available pure. More can be found in the entire assortment of Fink's Delikatessen.

Stir the separated oil back in

Once opened, the pesto is best kept in the refrigerator. It reveals its full flavor at room temperature.

Stored in a cool place and stirred with the separated oil, it maintains its consistency. For pasta, mix a spoonful with some hot pasta water until creamy. On a cheese platter, it is a conversation piece in itself—especially when someone asks what that dark nut is. A jar that makes guests curious. Fruity, nutty, special.