noun
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: 銀杏 (いちょう)
茶碗蒸しにぎんなんを入れると風味が増す。
Adding ginkgo nuts to chawanmushi enhances the flavor.
秋になると、祖母
In autumn, my grandmother would roast ginkgo nuts for us.
When read いちょう, it refers to the ginkgo tree itself, not the nut. The nut is specifically ぎんなん.
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.