I've been eating a lot of ma gor lately in Chiang Mai and would like to know exactly what I've been putting into my system. I wonder if there is an English word for these nuts or even better, what their Latin name is.

If anyone out there has a good Thai/English botanical dictionary I'd be most grateful. Been to quite a few bookstores put have come up with a blank.

Cheers

well.. i dont know that nut " Ma Kor" but try to translate in TH and google it , it'd be

ก่อแป้น, มะก่อ

Castanopsis diversifolia King

And found that people eat that nut by roast ( North part of Thailand)

Bambi

this one call "Kor" found in south part of TH

Castanopsis spp.

Pic from doae.go.th

NUTS OF CASTANOPSIS AND CHRYSOLEPIS

The genera Castanopsis and Chrysolepis are closely related members of the family Fagaceae. Some authorities list them under a single genus (Castanopsis). The primary difference between the two genera is that the nuts of Castanopsis require one year to mature and the inflorescence spikes are unisexual whereas the nuts of Chrysolepis require two years to mature and the sexes are mixed on a single inflorescence spike [Hora, 1981].

Trees and shrubs of the genus Castanopsis (Fagaceae) are widely distributed throughout the tropical and temperate forests of Asia. Many species produce nuts that can be are eaten raw, roasted or boiled. Several temperate forest species are used in confectionery [Wickens, 1995] (Table 8.5).

The nuts of the North American Chrysolepis (Castanopsis) chrysophylla are sweet and have been used as a food source by indigenous tribes [Wickens, 1998]. However, crops are not sufficiently reliable for a staple food source. Moreover, they are difficult to extract from their spiny hulls [Peattie, 1953]. The nuts of C. sempervirens, another North American species, were also used as a food source by indigenous tribes and are reported to be good tasting when roasted and served with butter and salt [Wickens, 1995].

From Fao.org

Thank you BambinA for your remarkable reply to my request.

To put it even more simple for somebody who is unfamiliar with Asia, มะก่อ is a distant relative of the chestnut (also a subdivision of the Fagaceae family, Castanea.

looks like hazelnut or chessnut ( we call here Kastanien ) Never heard the name Ma Gor before, sorry.