Macadamia Nuts
By: Anonymous

About

Macadamia nuts are buttery tasting nuts that are round and similar in size to the hazelnut. These nuts are highly nutritious and have a highest amount of beneficial monounsaturated fats of any nut.

Information
Other names: Queensland Nut, Macadamia, Queen Of Nut, Bush Nut, Maroochi Nut
Translations: Makadāmijas rieksti, Makadamijos riešutai, Nuci de Macadamia, Macadamia Matice, Orzechy Macadamia, Macadamia पागल, Nozes Macadâmia, Орехи макадамия, Macadamia καρύδια, المكاداميا المكسرات, 마카 데 미아 너트, Makadamia, Makadamya nuwes, 澳大利亚坚果, Nous de macadàmia, Makadamije, Makadamové, מקדמיה אגוזים, Macadamianötter, Аустралијски ораси, マカデミアナッツ, Noix de macadamia, Macadamia-Nüsse, Macadamia Nødder, Macadamia nøtter, Nueces de Macadamia, Горіхи макадамія, Macadamiapähkinöitä, Макадамия


Physical Description
The fruit of the macadamia tree are a  very hard woody globe with a pointed apex, containing one or two seeds. The seeds when roasted are creamy white and roundish. 
Colors: outside husk is green or brown, inside flesh is creamy white


Tasting Notes
Flavors: sweet, buttery
Mouthfeel: Crunchy, Buttery, Luxurious and tender
Food complements: Chocolate, Cake, Cookies, Cream, Seafood, Chicken, Citrus, Salt, Sugar
Wine complements: White wine, Late harvest reisling, Reisling, Viognier
Beverage complements: Milkshake, Milk, Cognac, Brandy
Substitutes: Peanuts, Hazelnuts, Walnuts


Selecting and Buying
Seasonality: january, february, march, april, may, june, july, august, september, opctober, november, december
Choosing: When buying 'MacNuts' check the expiration date. Nuts takes time to expire but its likely that molds will build up fast. Do not buy nuts with broken or damaged containers.
Buying: These days, you can buy 'MacNuts' on your local supermarkets. Chec
Procuring: The macadamia tree is usually propagated by grafting, and does not begin to produce commercial quantities of nuts until it is 7–10 years old, but once established, may continue bearing for over 100 years. Macadamias prefer fertile, well-drained soils, a rainfall of 1,000–2,000 mm, and temperatures not falling below 10 °C (although once established they can withstand light frosts), with an optimum temperature of 25 °C. The roots are shallow and trees can be blown down in storms; they are also susceptible to Phytophthora root disease.
The macadamia nut has an extremely hard shell, but can be cracked using a blunt instrument, such as a hammer or rock applied with some force to the nut sitting in a concave surface, or a custom made macadamia nutcracker can be used. Nuts of the "Arkin Papershell" variety crack open more readily.


Preparation and Use
Most macadamia nuts are purchased roasted and either sold whole or chopped. They are ready to use in this way. 
Cleaning: Remove the husk if necessary. Processed nuts require no further cleaning. 


Conserving and Storing
      Step 1
      Place macadamia nuts into the airtight container or the plastic freezer bag. If you are using the plastic freezer bag, squeeze out as much excess air from the bag as possible prior to closing it.
      Step 2
      Write the contents and the date on the freezer bag.
      Step 3
      Store macadamia nuts in the refrigerator for up to 6 months and in the freezer for up to 1 year.
      Step 4
      Remove the macadamia nuts from the refrigerator or freezer and open the container or bag. Smell the macadamia nuts to ensure they do not have an odor that suggests they are not fresh. If you detect an unpleasant odor or they taste unpleasant, discard them immediately.



Social/Political
Macadamia nuts are high in monounsaturated fatty acid ( good fat ) which helps reduce overall cholesterol levels. Macadamia nuts contain flavonoids ( a phytochemical ) and tocopherols ( vitamin E ) , which aid in protecting against cancer and heart disease. Macadamia nut oil contains Omega 3 , known to reduce the risk of heart disease and high blood pressure. The macadamia nut is one of the few foods that contain Pamitoleic acid, amonounsaturated fatty acid. Pamitoleic acid may aid in fat metabolism, possibly reducing stored body fat.
History: The macadamia is the only major commercial food crop that is native to Australia.
The colonization of Australia by the British began in 1788 but it wasn't until 1875 that the recorded history of the macadamia began. Ferdinand Von Muller, Royal Botanist at Melbourne and Walter Hill, Director of the Botany Garden at Brisbane, were botanizing in the forest along the Pine River in the Moreton Bay district of Queensland. They discovered a species of tree in the family Proteaceae previously unknown to European and American Botanists. This species did not fit into any previously established genera in that family, so in 1858 Muller established a new genus, Macadamia, naming it in honor of John Macadam, MD, Secretary of the Philosophical Institute of Victoria.
Of course, the British weren't the first inhabitants of Australia. At the time of their arrival Australia was inhabited by aborigines, with a population of around 300,000. Their food consisted mainly of fish, shellfish, turtle eggs, grubs of certain tree bark insects, kangaroo, koala, wombat, bandicoot, other small animals and birds, plus yams, and grass seeds.
Mt Warning, home of macadamias
However, during the months of fall and winter (March to June), they would come from far and near to congregate on the eastern slopes of the Great Divide Range. Here they would feast on the seeds of two kinds of trees which were abundant in the area. One kind of tree they called "Kindal Kindal", which we now know as the macadamia.
The macadamia genus consists of at least ten species, but only two of those produce edible nuts, the Integrifolia and the Tetraphylla.
The first large planting of Macadamias occurred in 1890 on the Frederickson Estate at Rous Mill, New South Wales. They planted around 250 trees as a source of nuts for the family. Many of those trees still exist and are still producing a good crop of nuts.
Interestingly, the largest single planting of macadamia trees is on 3,700 acres in Komatipoort, South Africa. Additionally, macadamias are grown commercially in Hawaii, Australia, Malawi, Kenya, South Africa, Israel, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, Brazil, and many other tropical and subtropical regions, including Florida.
Macadamias were first grown in NZ through ad-hoc import from Australia.
In 1975 the beginnings of commercial plantings occurred south of Auckland through the efforts of Virginia Warren. This enterprise has flourished into a cottage industry with around 400 trees planted.
Planting began at what is now MacNut Farms in 1980 under the management of Neil Whitehead, with the orchard starting to produce commercial quantities in 1989. Neil continued  as manager until 1997, supervising the development of NZ’s largest orchard at 10,500 trees spread over 105 acres.
MacNut Farms is predominantly planted in a hybrid species called "Beaumont", which is known for it’s superior tasting nut. In NZ, Beaumont’s must be handpicked, as they do not drop their nuts. Most Australian and Hawaiian species drop their nuts, allowing for a cheaper ground harvest.