Going nuts over Hawaiian Macadamia!

 

Hawaiian Macadamia Nuts 

Besides being famous for its scenic beauty, the island of Hawaii is also famous for Macadamia Nuts. Hawaii has about 700 Macadamia nut farms that are processed at 8 processing plants. Together with Kona coffee it is one of the signature crop of Hawaii.

Whenever we talk of Macadamia Nuts, we think of Hawaii but the tree is not native to Hawaii. Its native habitat is down under or Australia, lending it it’s another common name as Australian or Queensland Nut.

Macadamia Nut flowers 

Green Macadamia on trees 

Macadamia Nuts are very expensive as they are only cultivated in few places in world. Hawaii is the single largest producer in the world.

The nut was introduced in Hawaii by William Herbert Purvis in 1881. The original tree is still standing tall and producing nuts.

Macadamia nuts grow on large, spreading, evergreen trees that reach height of 30-40 feet and starts producing fruits after 10 years and continue indefinitely. A healthy tree will produce 30-50 pounds of nuts every year.

Mature nuts fall to the ground from October to late January. The nuts are than de-husked and air dried for at least 2 weeks before they are cracked open and processed.

Sun drying of harvested nuts 

Like other nuts, Macadamias too are very high in fat content, but most of it is monounsaturated fat along with antioxidants, vitamin B1 and magnesium. They are also low in carbs and protein content.

The husk is processed to form mulch or fertilizers. Macadamia oil is also used in cosmetic industry and a variety of skin and hair care products are made from it.

Various cosmetic products from Macadamia nut oil. 

Macadamia oil is used as facial oil, moisturizer, hair conditioner and make up remover. Various brands are available in markets and available on Amazon. I particularly love Sweet Essentials  Organic Macadamia Oil.

You can buy it from Amazon here. 

Besides these, various hair masks, hair conditioner and facial cream containing macadamia oils are available in the markets and on Amazon.

The slightly sweet flavor of Macadamia nuts greatly compliments chocolate for the ultimate taste of paradise. The nuts are coated with various forms of milk, white and dark chocolates or incorporated in various food items like cookies, fudge, crunch and scones. These items can be brought on line from Amazon or company's on line stores.

Only marketed in Hawaii 

They also come in savory taste such as Maui Onion Garlic and Wasabi Teriyaki.

Various brands are available in Hawaiian markets and visitors often take them as a souvenir or gifts for friends and families. Being the pioneers in market for 40 years, Mauna Loa is still the leading brand. The company’s processing plant is in Hilo and attracts thousands of visitors each year.