Walnut is a Latin contraction of "Jovis glans" meaning regal nut of Jupiter or the nut of "the Gods." Ancients believed the gods dined on walnuts, hence regia or regal.  Franciscan priests brought the walnut to California, USA around 1770. The nuts are enriched with many health-benefiting nutrients, especially Omega-3 fatty acids that are essential for optimum health.