Appearance and form: the fruit of chinkapin usually appears as a rounded nut with dark brown shell color and obvious lines and bumps on the surface. While the fruit of acorn is the fruit of oak tree, shape is oblong or nearly spherical, shell color is reddish-brown or yellowish-brown, and the surface is smooth or has longitudinal lines.

Use: The fruit of the bitter chink can be used as a food item or to make tofu or other food products, while the fruit of the acorn is usually used only as a food source.