Macadamia: what you need to know about the queen of nuts

She’s round, glossy, mild in flavor and just a little decadent: the macadamia nut. You’ll often find her in a premium nut mix, but she shines just as brightly solo. A nut you don’t mindlessly munch on, but savor consciously. Why? Because it’s the most expensive, fattiest and perhaps tastiest nut in the world. Time to straighten her crown.

Australian royalty

The macadamia nut originally comes from Australia, where Indigenous Australians had been eating it for centuries. It wasn’t until the mid-nineteenth century that the nut was discovered by a British botanist and went international. These days, macadamias are also cultivated in places including Hawaii, Kenya, Malawi and South Africa. Australia remains the leading supplier, though. There’s a good chance your bowl of nuts therefore started down under.

Why are macadamias so expensive?

Your serving of macadamias comes with a price tag. And there’s a good reason for that.

• It takes the tree around ten years to produce a full crop of nuts.
• The nuts are harvested by hand – quite labor-intensive!
• And here’s the clincher: macadamias are the hardest nuts in the world to crack. The shell is rock-hard and requires special equipment.

The fattiest of them all – and that’s a good thing

Macadamias contain the highest level of unsaturated fats of all nuts. These are the good fats that make your body happy. They’re also packed with vitamins B1, B3 and B6, as well as phytonutrients: natural compounds that help you absorb antioxidants. That makes macadamias not only delicious, but also a kind of internal detox.

Raw, fried or roasted: how to eat them

• Raw: deliciously pure, packed with nutrients.
• Fried: deep-fried in oil, with slightly fewer vitamins, but still a treat.
• Roasted: dry-roasted and often salted or seasoned. Crunch level: excellent. And a tip: making your own spicy nut mix is very easy.

Perfect with a glass of wine (or in your cookies)

Macadamias have a creamy, buttery flavor and aren’t too intense. Perfect with a glass of Chardonnay, or a refreshing glass of bubbly. Toss them through a salad for a crunchy bite, or use them in your baking: white chocolate + macadamia = cookie of the century.

How to store your nuts properly

Macadamias are a delicate thing. Store them in a sealed container in a cool place, preferably between 10 and 15 degrees. They’ll keep for up to six months that way. But honestly, there’s a good chance they won’t last that long. It’s hard to stay away from such a regal nut.

Also read:

• Keuringsdienst van Waarde: how you’re being ripped off with supermarket nuts
• Yikes: did you know this can be hiding in your cashew nuts?
• Roasting nuts in the microwave: super easy