Nutcracker
A nutcracker is a
A decorative version portrays a person whose mouth forms the jaws of the nutcracker.
Functions
Nuts were historically opened using a hammer and anvil, often made of stone.[1] Some nuts such as walnuts can also be opened by hand, by holding the nut in the palm of the hand and applying pressure with the other palm or thumb, or using another nut.[2]
Manufacturers produce modern functional nutcrackers usually somewhat resembling
During the Victorian era, fruit and nuts were presented at dinner and ornate and often silver-plated nutcrackers were produced to accompany them on the dinner table.[1] Nuts have long been a popular choice for desserts, particularly throughout Europe. The nutcrackers were placed on dining tables to serve as a fun and entertaining center of conversation while diners awaited their final course. At one time, nutcrackers were actually made of metals such as brass, and it was not until the 1800s in Germany that the popularity of wooden ones began to spread.[4]
The late 19th century saw two shifts in nutcracker production: the rise in figurative and decorative designs, particularly from the Alps where they were sold as souvenirs, and a switch to industrial manufacture, including availability in mail-order catalogues, rather than artisan production.
Alternative designs
In the 17th century, screw nutcrackers were introduced that applied more gradual pressure to the shell, some like a vise.[1] The spring-jointed nutcracker was patented by Henry Quackenbush in 1913.[5] A ratchet design, similar to a car jack, that gradually increases pressure on the shell to avoid damaging the kernel inside is used by the Crackerjack, patented in 1947 by Cuthbert Leslie Rimes of Morley, Leeds and exhibited at the Festival of Britain.[6][7][8][9] Unshelled nuts are still popular in China, where a key device is inserted into the crack in walnuts, pecans, and macadamias and twisted to open the shell.[10]
For crustaceans
A crab cracker (also known as a lobster cracker or crab claw cracker) is a specialized
Decorative
Nutcrackers in the form of wood carvings of a soldier, knight, king, or other profession have existed since at least the 15th century. Figurative nutcrackers are a good luck symbol in Germany, and a folktale recounts that a puppet-maker won a nutcracking challenge by creating a doll with a mouth for a lever to crack the nuts.[3] These nutcrackers portray a person with a large mouth which the operator opens by lifting a lever in the back of the figurine. Originally one could insert a nut in the big-toothed mouth, press down and thereby crack the nut. Modern nutcrackers in this style serve mostly for decoration, mainly at Christmas time, a season of which they have long been a traditional symbol.[11] Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's ballet The Nutcracker, based on a story by E. T. A. Hoffmann, derives its name from this festive holiday decoration.
The carving of nutcrackers—as well as of
Decorative nutcrackers became popular in the United States after the
Other uses
Some artists, among them the multi-instrumentalist Mike Oldfield, have used the sound nutcrackers make in music.[14]
An old belief among the
In animals
Many animals shell nuts to eat them, including using tools. The Capuchin monkey is a fine example. Parrots use their beaks as natural nutcrackers, in much the same way smaller birds crack seeds. In this case, the pivot point stands opposite the nut, at the jaw, or the beak.
References
- ^ ISBN 9780747805236. Retrieved January 10, 2016.
- ^ Perry, Nicole (December 7, 2015). "Holiday Hack: How to Crack Open Nuts With Your Bare Hands". PopSugar. Retrieved January 10, 2016.
- ^ a b c d Malone, Noreen (December 2012). "In a Nutshell: A Brief History of Nutcrackers". Slate. Retrieved January 10, 2016.
- ^ "History Of Nutcrackers". Oktoberfest Haus. September 5, 2014. Retrieved March 27, 2017.
- ^ "Nutcracker history - invention of the nutcrackers". ideafinder.com. Retrieved 20 June 2012.
- ^ Yarrow, Stella (February 6, 1994). "TRIED & TESTED / Taking a crack at it: We sample seven nutcrackers. The hard shell won when it came to the crunch". The Independent. Retrieved December 31, 2015.
- ^ "Morley's Nutcrackers". Morley Advertiser. June 22, 1951. Retrieved December 31, 2015.
- ^ "Improvements in or relating to nut-crackers GB592232 (A)". Espacenet. September 9, 1947. Retrieved December 31, 2015.
- ^ "Crackerjack nutcrackers; C.L. Rimes Limited, Leeds, UK; 1969; T92". City of Belmont Museum. Ehive. Retrieved December 31, 2015.
- ^ Honan, Kim (October 24, 2014). "Is China's love for our native nut a production threat or marketing opportunity for Australian macadamia growers?". ABC Rural. Retrieved January 10, 2016.
- ^ Gabilondo, Pat (December 23, 2011). "The Nutcracker: A Timeless Symbol of Christmas". Lilburn-MountainParkPatch. Retrieved December 10, 2012.
- ^ a b c Albright, Mary Beth (December 8, 2014). "Why Fancy Nutcrackers Don't Actually Crack Nuts". The Plate. National Geographic. Archived from the original on April 3, 2015. Retrieved January 10, 2016.
- ^ Gambino, Megan (December 24, 2008). "Nutcrackers at National Postal Museum". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved December 31, 2015.
- ^ "Island life inspires music icon Mike Oldfield". Retrieved 2018-12-02.
- ^ "Kacip". Sirih Pinang (in Malay). Perpustakaan Negara Malaysia. 1999. Retrieved 26 June 2021.