Culinary God in Wilderness

Chapter 223: Chapter 174: Deadly Brazil Nuts, Crafting a Bamboo Knife

After the delectable flavor of the coconut crab, the seaweed soup seemed utterly tasteless. It had only a faint hint of seaweed and wasn’t salty enough, reminding him of cafeteria soup made by tossing a handful of seaweed into a giant vat of water.

It wasn’t what he’d call tasty, but it was certainly adequate for replenishing fluids and salt. He figured he should drink a few bowls every day, if possible.

After eating, he didn’t rest. He grabbed his stone axe and combat knife and headed for the forest on the mountainside.

The forest in the nearby river valley had already been swept clean by Andre. With that guy’s skills, he doubted he’d find any usable branches left.

Rather than waste time, it was better to explore a different area.

’I’ll try to weave a couple of baskets today. Using my jacket all the time just isn’t sustainable.’

’I’ve only passed through the forest on this slope a few times in a hurry, never really searched it thoroughly. But given the location and the nearby stream, it should be great for plant life. Hopefully, I’ll find something unexpected.’

He followed the stream uphill, passing many tall trees along the way. While information about them automatically surfaced in his mind, he was mainly focused on their practical uses.

Things like whether the fruit was edible, if the bark had special properties, or if the leaves could be used as an insect repellent.

After a quick survey, he found that most were of no use to him, or they weren’t in their fruiting season. He dismissed them from his mind and moved on.

As he was walking, a tremendous crash suddenly erupted from the forest beside him.

THUD!

The sound was so immense, it was as if a heavy object had smashed into the ground from a great height.

"Holy shit, what was that?"

Lin Chen stared warily in the direction of the noise, countless possibilities flashing through his mind.

He instinctively glanced up at the forest canopy and saw the crowns of several exceptionally tall trees towering above the rest.

These trees only had branches and leaves at their very tops; below were bare, straight trunks.

Even from this distance, he could faintly make out what appeared to be many spherical black dots scattered among the crowns.

’Exceptionally tall, leaves only at the crown, round fruit... Could they be Brazil nuts?’

The more he considered it, the more certain he became. That, combined with the loud crash from earlier, was clearly the sound of a ripe Brazil nut hitting the ground.

’It’s February, which is the tail end of the Brazil nut season. The seeds from those things are a gold mine. Let’s go take a look!’

He stopped a short distance from the base of the exceptionally tall trees, not daring to get any closer. He tilted his head back and looked up.

The Brazil nut trees stood like colossal giants, their canopies blocking the sky so thoroughly that only a few slivers of light could filter through the gaps in their leaves.

In a circular area more than ten meters wide around the base of the trunks, coconut-sized round fruits were scattered about. Their surfaces were almost featureless, making them look like wooden spheres.

"It really is the Brazil nut. The seeds of this nut are hailed as the ’king of nuts.’ They’re rich in vitamin E and selenium, which can significantly slow cellular aging, protect the cardiovascular system, lower cholesterol levels, regulate thyroid function, and promote the synthesis of thyroid hormones."

"They’re also incredibly high in calories. Every hundred grams of Brazil nuts contains about 650 calories—a total calorie bomb."

"But for all its benefits, there are also restrictions. The selenium content is extremely high, about 225 micrograms per hundred grams, while the recommended daily intake for an adult is only 55 micrograms. So, the safe daily intake shouldn’t exceed twenty grams of kernels."

"Exceeding that amount over the long term can easily lead to selenium poisoning, which in severe cases can cause symptoms like hair loss and difficulty breathing."

"Additionally, the roots of the Brazil nut tree are adept at absorbing radium, so the radium content in the kernels is a thousand times higher than in ordinary food. Eating too many can affect bone health."

"In summary, the Brazil nut is a clear double-edged sword. Daily intake must be kept below twenty grams, which is about three to four nuts."

"Setting aside the nutritional benefits and negative side effects of the nuts, you also have to be extremely careful when gathering them."

Lin Chen pointed at the wooden spheres scattered all over the ground, then gestured up at the sky-high canopy.

"A single fruit can weigh up to two kilograms, and the canopy can grow to fifty meters or higher."

"It’s nearly impossible to climb a tree this tall. Besides, the Brazil nuts fall naturally when they’re ripe, so you just have to gather the ones on the ground."

"But that’s precisely where the problem is!"

He paused before continuing, "A two-kilogram, round fruit free-falling from fifty meters high builds up enough force to be like a cannonball."

"Even a glancing blow could break a bone. A direct hit would kill you on the spot!"

"That’s why collecting Brazil nuts is an extremely dangerous job. You have to constantly be watching the canopy, as a ripe fruit could fall at any moment."

He didn’t rush into the area, opting instead to wander around the periphery.

The ripe fruit had all fallen to the ground anyway; he could gather it anytime. The top priority now was to find materials for making a basket.

Mulberry Tree bark could be used for weaving, but it was also one of the few things that could serve as rope in the wild, so he’d rather not use it if he could avoid it.

After circling the area, he still hadn’t found any suitable materials.

’Looks like I’ll have to go a bit higher. I think I remember seeing a bamboo forest when I first got here.’

He returned to the area beneath the Brazil nut trees. Keeping his head tilted up, he carefully squatted down and tossed one of the massive fruits into the distance.