The youngest of the edible nuts whose commercial
cultivation dates only from 1858, Macadamias were originally native
to the tropical and subtropical rain forest of Australia’s
eastern seaboard. They belong to the obscure nut bearing family
of trees Proteacea, of which only two of ten species produce “sweet”
nuts, while the remainder produce nuts containing cyanide. They
were named by Australian botanist Ferdinand Von Mueller in honor
of his friend, the Scottish Doctor John Macadam. Originally, Australian
aborigines gathered and dried the nuts as they matured in their
2 to 3 month season.
In 1882, the trees were introduced by European colonists
to Hawaii, the principal source of production today. Propagation
was further expanded in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa,
and is currently being introduced into other areas as well. South
Africa today ranks second in total acres of production. Because
of their rich, buttery taste, macadamias have gained tremendous
popularity, even though they still rank among the world’s
most expensive edible nuts.
Description:
Macadamia trees are tropical evergreen trees with
spreading, full canopies which reach a width of 30 feet and height
of 20-30 feet. Botanically a drupe, the fleshy outer portion is
removed revealing a thick green hull with kernels enclosed in hard
shells.
Macadamia nuts are being heralded as among the healthiest
of nuts available, being naturally low in carbohydrates. While high
in fat, 80% of the fat they provide is monounsaturated. One study
found macadamia nuts provide nutritional and dietary benefits equal
to or better than olive oil and other tree nuts. Another study noted
that not only do macadamias lower the level of “bad”
cholesterol, they increase the levels of “good’ cholesterol.
They are rich, satisfying and healthful, and are being increasingly
used in the finest quality confections, baked goods, snacks and
ice cream.
Harvest:
Presently macadamias are still largely harvested
by hand, although mechanical harvesting is being evaluated. The
nuts are dehulled mechanically and dried to a low water content.
The shells are cracked, and the nuts cleaned and sorted by size
according to the proportion of whole nuts to halves and pieces.
Types & Sizes:
Style #1 – 17 mm min. – whole & half
kernels – 90% whole
Style #2 – 13-17 mm – whole & half kernels –
50% whole
Style #3 – 15 mm – whole, halves & large kernels
– 15% whole
Style #4 – upwards of 9 mm – whole, halves & larger
kernels – 5% whole
Style #5 – 9 – 12 mm – large diced
Style #6 – 5 mm min. – chips
Style #7 – 3-6 mm – bits
Style #8 – smaller than 3 mm – fines
Origin: