The Biggest Mac

The Macadamia nut is not known at all in a very large number of countries of the world, and if it all, only as something beyond the market reach. But in those that it is known, it takes the hot spot.

A product of the Macadamia tree that is a native of the subtropical rain forests on the East coast of Australia, the nut is actually the hard shelled seed of the flower of this tree. Weighing only 2 to 3.5 grams, this little kernel is one of the hardest nuts to crack, but then whoever said access to great things was easy??? The little Macadamia nut, once obtained, is a storehouse of mono-unsaturated oils and other nutrients that are today regarded the elixir of life and capable of fighting heart diseases in our increasingly diseased world. There are two known edible species while a number of inedible ones to be found in and around the rainforest pockets of South-Eastern Queensland and the Northern rivers of New South Wales.

The interesting thing is that in their native land, these nuts have been a part of the aboriginal diet for thousands of years. Called Kindal Kindal, (and a number of other names), the aboriginal Australians still consume these nuts in their natural form. It was in 1828 that a white explorer found them and the genus was investigated and named after Dr. John MacAdam in the middle of the 18th century. This would make the Macadamia one of the youngest nuts known to the western world. It was sometime around1858 that the oldest known Macadamia tree was planted in the Brisbane botanical garden by botanist Walter Hill.

The Big Nut came to Hawaii in the 1880s, and within 50 years, Hawaii was producing the nuts on a commercial basis. By contrast, it took almost another 80 years to have large scale orchards, in its native country of Australia. This is the reason why popular misconception points to Hawaii as the native land of the Macadamia nut, far away from its motherland, the continent down under. Today a large number of countries produce the Macademia nut on a commercial scale and the world production stands at about 10,000 tonnes of kernel, leaving a lot of potential for an even larger production.

The uses of the Macadamia are wide and varied, they can be used cooked, (roasted, salted), or cooked in a dish. They can also be eaten raw though delivering a nut from a kernel takes some effort. The roasted variety, if packed properly, is better than the fresh ones because they can remain fresh up to a year after proper sealing while raw open nuts may start decaying quite soon, sometimes in less than a month.

One of the biggest consumption of the Macadamia nut is in the confectionary industry, for coating in chocolates or other sweets and even if a little expensive, it is a great buy. Baked, the nut acquires a life of its own, as Macadamia shortbread, cakes and biscuits. It is often used as an addition to soups, sometimes even fish dishes and salads. The nutty flavor and creamy texture of the Macademia serves to enhance the flavor of whichever dish it accompanies. But if one plans to use it for baking at home, it is best to be careful since t burns quite easily, owing to its high oil content.

The oil derived from the nut is very healthy though expensive, but can still be used as a salad dressing and flavoring in other dishes.

Some residents of subtropical areas have tried growing the Macadamia tree at home, with great results. The only important things to remember are to allow plenty of room for the roots to spread, to plant them in the spring season so they grow well as saplings, and water it well. Since these trees do not have a tap root and have to do with surface roots, ensure that these little strugglers get enough space. It should not be smothered with fertilizers; a bed of mulch around the tree would do nicely with a light dressing each spring. In about six to eight years, it should start bearing nuts. Then it is harvest time, the best way to do which is to wait for the kernel to fall. Then remove the outer husks and store in a cool, dry place, to get nuts whenever needed.

The nuts need to be dried well before cracking the kernel so even though some people like it moist (a bit like the coconut), it is easier to crack when dried. They can be sun dried or left to dry in a shallow area, and after about a month, they will rattle when shaken, signifying that the kernel has separated from the shells, so they will now be easier to crack. (Does this mean hard nuts to crack a get easier when left alone for a couple of weeks??). Sometimes a little heat can be applied to hasten the process but it should never exceed 95 degree F. One could use the warmth of light bulbs or even the warm a draught from the refrigerator. Then they can be cracked open by various methods (you decide), the easiest being cracking with a carpenter’s vice or a vice bought specially for the purpose. Whatever you do, make sure you dry the nut completely before cooking or even a little extra heat will burn them.

The nutrition level in the Macadamia nut has placed it in the ‘Foods for Moderate Consumption" on The Australian Nutrition Foundation’s healthy Pyramid Diet. Indeed, it is high on oil (almost 75% of its weight) but these contain no cholesterol (84% of this is mono-unsaturated fatty acids), so in almost all cuisines, they help lower the risk of heart diseases. Besides, the 9 grams of proteins and 9.3 grams of carbohydrates that they boast of is a great add-on.

A 100 gram packet of Macadamia nuts provide almost 725 calories, 48 mg of Calcium, 260 mg of Potassium (almost 65% of a person’s recommended daily intake) and 200 mg of Phosphorus (20 % of RDI), not to mention 2 mg of Iron which takes care of almost 25% of a person’s RDI.

High on taste, great on qualities and up there on nutrition, the Macadamia nut is everybody’s pet dip…into chocolate or just as a munchy, crunchy accompaniment.