A Nutty Celebration

Pecan Fest touts Seguin’s famous crop

By Anne Braly

Seguin celebrates its famous nut and the many cultures that make up the town each October.

In a typical year, Pecan Fest draws 5,000 attendees who come and break out of their shells for food, fun, fellowship, and everything pecan, including a pecan-shelling contest, tours of Pape Pecan House and its Nutcracker Museum, and pecan treats galore. This year’s festival is set for Oct. 30. For the latest information, visit the Seguin Texas website.

The history of pecans is deeply rooted in Texas. This is especially true in Seguin, a town that touts itself as the Pecan Capital of Texas — and for good reason.

As early as the 1500s, the Guadalupe River winding its way through Seguin was known as the River of Nuts. “Even today, pecan trees line the Guadalupe River,” says Kyle Kramm, director of Seguin’s Convention and Visitors Bureau as well as Seguin Main Street, a program that celebrates and promotes the city’s historic downtown.

That's One Big Pecan

Seguin can take bragging rights as home to the largest pecan, manmade, in the world. But it’s something that proved to be a very competitive claim, Kramm explains.

In 1962, the World’s Largest Pecan — about 5 feet wide and made of concrete — was erected in downtown Seguin. It still sits in front of the Guadalupe County Courthouse. But in the 1980s, Brunswick, Missouri, built a larger, 12-foot-wide pecan and stripped Seguin’s monument of its coveted title.

Not a city to be outdone, the leadership class from the Seguin Chamber of Commerce took it upon itself to reclaim the World’s Largest Pecan title for Seguin in 2011. Today, the record holder is located at the Big Red Barn at the Texas Agriculture Education and Heritage Center. The whopper of a nut is 16 feet long, 8 feet tall, and made of fiberglass.

Additionally, Seguin is home to the World’s Largest Mobile Pecan. It’s 10 feet long and sits outside Pape Pecan House. Inside the store is the Nutcracker Museum, where the vast nutcracker collection of Kenneth Pape, one of the area’s major pecan growers, is on display.

Pape and his relatives own 200 acres dotted with native pecan trees along the Guadalupe River. Pape says his grandfather, Gus Fisher, started it all back in 1890 as a way to make a living. Pape’s pecans come from 500-year-old native trees, as well as planted and grafted trees.

Native Nuts

Pecans are one of the major tree nuts native to North America, and by the early 20th century, the Texas pecan industry was such a success the state legislature declared the pecan tree the official state tree. According to the Texas Pecan Board, in a good season, Texas pecan trees produce around 50 million pounds of nuts, making it one of the most important industries in the Lone Star State. And Guadalupe County, where Seguin is located, is one of its largest pecan-producing counties.

The Seguin area is perfect for pecan trees thanks to its position near the river.

“The river and river bottom soils are ideal for pecan trees, as they are deep-rooted and need well-drained
soil,” says Bob Whitley, executive director of the Texas Pecan Board.

There are more than 1,000 different varieties of pecans grown in the United States, and Texas has many of them, according to Whitley, a pecan grower and former extension agent for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. Some of the more popular varieties are Desirable, Pawnee, Caddo, Sioux and Kanza.

“I judge a lot of shows every year, and we will have about 30 different varieties entered in individual shows and upward of 100-150 varieties in the state show in July,” Whitley says.

On the Menu

Pecan trees are not only grown in area orchards. They are a common sight along roads, in parks, and scattered around yards. And the nuts they produce are prominent on the menus of area restaurants, too, which take advantage of the town’s place in the world of pecans.

“We pride ourselves in supporting our local farmers,” says Catrina Chesworth, manager of Court Street Coffee Shop in downtown Seguin.

Court Street gets its pecans from Felty Farms, which belongs to the restaurant’s owner, Heather Felty. She uses her nuts in every recipe calling for pecans, such as the popular strawberry pecan salad and made-from-scratch banana bread that tastes even better served with a warm cup of pecan coffee.

“We’re always looking for more ways to use them,” Chesworth says.

A Pecan Feast

There are several restaurants in Seguin that take advantage of the local pecan harvest. Here are a few places to enjoy the tasty nuts:

• Seguin Brewing Co. brews its own honey pecan ale, which is great paired with its honey pecan wings.
• 1916 Bar & Bistro serves pecan-crusted salmon.
• Court Street Coffee Shop serves pecan coffee, as well as a mouthwatering strawberry pecan salad.
• Sweet Treats is the local bakery, and its signature cupcakes include pecan pie and bacon bourbon pecan varieties.
• Seguin Coffee Co. serves an interesting pecan pie coffee drink.
• Saddle up with a pecan old-fashioned at Schultz Saloon.
• Or, for a good old slice of pecan pie — declared the official state dessert in 2013 — stop by one of Seguin’s barbecue joints, such as Davila’s (418 Main St.) and Johnny’s (6036 Highway 123).

How Do You Say Pecan?

A survey from the Texas Pecan Board revealed some interesting answers when people were asked how they pronounce pecan, the fruit of the state tree of Texas.

“Pih-kahn” was the choice of 41% of respondents, while 34% say “puh-kahn.”

And where did “pee-can” fit in? It was the top pronunciation choice of respondents aged 18-22.