How to cook macadamia nuts
Information for macadamia nuts in our free cooking ingredients collection.
Macadamia nuts
Native to Australia, the macadamia tree was named for the naturalist Dr. John MacAdam. According to legend, he was the first to find the nuts edible.
The macadamia nut is enclosed in a very hard, brownish shell, and the kernel is off-white in color. Each nut is about half an inch to an inch in diameter and is enclosed in a thin, fleshy husk. This husk opens as the nut matures. The slightly sweet, creamy, rich flavor of the nutmeat has acquired a “gourmet” reputation and a hefty asking price.
Macadamia nuts have the highest fat and calorie content of any nut, but they are an excellent source of magnesium, copper, and thiamin and a good source of iron and niacin. The fat in the macadamia nut is primarily monounsaturated fat.
The tree that bears macadamia nuts was introduced to some regions of the United States in the 1880s. It was not until the 1930s, however, that a real consumer audience made the macadamia industry possible. Historically, Hawaii has supplied 90 percent of the world’s macadamia nuts. Growers in California and Florida also have begun contributing to domestic production. Macadamia nuts are also grown in Brazil, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Venezuela, Jamaica, South Africa, and Samoa.
How to cook macadamia nuts
Because of their extremely hard shell (which takes up to 300 pounds of pressure to crack) and high oil content, macadamia nuts are usually sold shelled in vacuum-packed containers. The nuts can become rancid quickly because of their high oil content. Refrigerating them, however, can extend their shelf life up to 2 months.
Serving suggestions
Macadamia nuts may be bought raw or roasted, plain, chocolate-covered, or salted, and whole or chopped. They are great by themselves as a snack. Chopped macadamia nuts add a nice texture and flavor to salads, rice dishes, curries, cookies, cakes, candies, and ice cream. The nuts also can be ground into a creamy butter and used as a spread. Oil made from the nuts can be added to salads or used for cooking.
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