Products - Brazil Nuts

Origin:

Bolivia, Peru

Background:

For centuries, Brazil nut trees have grown wild in the Amazon forest of South America. Many indigenous tribes, like the Yanomami, used the nuts to supplement their diets, and the oil and husks for a variety of other purposes. The Portuguese and the Spanish introduced Brazil nuts to Europe in the 1500s, when the nuts were used for expeditionary rations and sent back with other New World discoveries. The Spanish called them “almendras de los Andes” – almonds of the Andes. It was a German botanist-explorer, Alexander von Humboldt, who upon returning from a five year expedition collecting and cataloging thousands of plants in the late eighteenth century gave the nuts their name, Bertholletia excelsa, after his friend the chemist Claude Louis Berthollet.

The history of Brazil nuts is also intertwined with rubber production that began in Brazil in the mid-19th century. Brazil nut collection was done in the rainy season from December to March, while rubber was collected from May to November. When the rubber market soared, Brazil nut sales followed. But by the turn of the century, the majority of rubber production had moved to Southeast Asia. The collectors (castaneros) were left with the harvesting of Brazil nuts to sustain themselves.

Description:

Brazil nut trees grow in the western Amazonian rain forest, in an area that covers portions of Brazil, Bolivia and Peru. While much of the original production shipped through Brazilian ports, today Bolivia and Peru account for more than half the world’s processing of Brazil Nuts. One of the tallest trees in the tropical jungle, the Brazil nut tree grows to 165 feet tall, begins to bear fruit at 30 years old and may live 500 to 800 years. The tree is wild; its growth and reproduction is dependent on the complex web of ecological relationships of the rain forest. All Brazil nuts are natural; efforts to cultivate Brazil nuts in plantations have never been successful.

Brazil nuts are actually the seed of the tree. They grow in 4 to 6 pound pods about the size of a man’s hand. One pod contains up to 30 seeds or nuts. Collectors must wait until the pods drop to the ground to gather them – a hazardous occupation since the force of a pod hitting the ground could kill a man. Once collected, the castaneros convey the nuts by river or road to processors. The nuts remain a kind of currency, traded for food and manufactured goods. The Brazil nut industry is one of the few means of sustainable development available for the Amazon Basin. The industry provides an economic alternative to deforestation, supplies employment to local inhabitants and makes a critical contribution to the delicate balance of the world ecology. Today, Bedemco is one of the largest supplier of Brazil nuts to the North American market, and the only supplier to offer new types and cuts of Brazil nut products.

Nutritionally, Brazil nuts are a good nutrient dense fuel for the body. While they have the highest fat content of all nuts, over half of the fats are monounsaturated, and they are noted for their omega-3 fatty acid content as well. They are an exceptional source of selenium, at levels more than 250 times most foods. Selenium may deter both prostate and ovarian cancer. Additionally they provide a good source of protein, calcium and magnesium.

Harvest:

Brazil nuts are harvested from December to March.

Types:

Sizes:

Whole Nuts – range in size from 80/100 kernels per lb. (Giants) to 180/220 kernels per lb. (Tinys)
Sliced & Crinkle Cut – 3.0–3.5 mm (thick) or 2.0-2.5 mm (thin)
Diced – Medium or Fine

Packing:

44 lb. net weight vacuum cartons