シイ
シイ

シイ

  • Castanopsis
  • ブナ科クリ亜科シイ属
  • 日本

どんぐりの実がなる木

椎の実（どんぐり）は、縄文時代には重要な食料であり、近年まで子供のおやつにされてきた。現在でも博多のお祭りでは炒った椎の実が夜店で売られている。杉の3倍、ナラの1.6倍の硬さを持つ木で、傷がつきにくいため構造材、器具、彫刻などに使われる。

Acorn fruit growing tree

Shii nuts (acorns) were an important food source during the Jōmon period and were eaten as a children’s snack until recently. Even today, roasted shii nuts are sold at street stalls during festivals in Hakata. The wood is three times as hard as cedar and 1.6 times as hard as oak. Because it resists scratching, it is used for structural timber, utensils, and carvings.