Growing up in the South it was all pecans and peanuts.
For a long time, I wasn't really aware of the existence of any other nut species, except maybe the almond, because my mom happened to love Almond Joys. Peanuts, in all their plebeian glory, are a bit underwhelming. The third world has a one up on the US when it comes to incorporating them into sauces, soups, and other delicacies. And by some failure of the Southern genome, I lean more towards hating pecans than loving them.
So, when I got out in the world and realized the variety of nuts that are there for the toasting, it was somewhat of a revelation. To celebrate the world of nuts, here's my top three list. Give nuts a thought today: asking someone to name their top three and seeing how they respond on the fly is a really good way to get a sense of the person. Seriously.

1*hazelnut
2*pistachio
3*pine nut