There are nearly 100 varieties of pine trees in the world, most of them in the northern hemisphere. The edible seeds are called pine nuts. The 10-15 centimeter pinecones that grow in fall contain seeds enveloped in a shell. The albumen of these seeds is served as pine nuts. Yanji Shoei Foods, in the Chinese city of Yanji, Jilin Province, shells, sorts and processes whole pine nuts sourced from around China.