ginkgo nut; gingko nut
The edible seed of the ginkgo tree, often used in Japanese cuisine. Can be roasted, boiled, or added to dishes like chawanmushi.
See also: イチョウ (いちょう)
Adding ginkgo nuts to chawanmushi enhances the flavor.
In autumn, my grandmother would roast ginkgo nuts for us.
Katakana spelling often used in menus, product labels, or for emphasis.
Kana spelling is common in everyday writing, especially in recipes and casual contexts.
The reading ぎんなん is a sound shift from ぎんあん (銀杏), where 杏 (あん) is the Chinese-derived reading for 'apricot'. The gemination (っ) is a common phonetic change in Japanese.