Macadamia, Halves Raw

Macadamia Halves

Attracting a multitude of palate-pleasing adjectives – like “buttery,” “creamy,” “sweet” and “crunchy” – macadamia nuts have equally diverse applications. Jazz up home-made or even store bought cookie dough with macadamia halves. Chop these raw halves for use in a texturally appealing glaze for sautéed salmon. Blend macadamias into a fruit smoothie for breakfast. Substitute macadamia nuts for croutons in a salad.

Although globally popular today, macadamias were relatively unknown beyond Australia until well into the 20th century. Aboriginal Australians had been scarfing down the highly nutritious nuts for millennia, but European residents of Down Under didn’t catch on until an enterprising tribal chief, King Jacky, began trading the yummy nuts in the 1860s. Around the same time, the nuts acquired their current name, in honor of Australian scientist John Macadam. A few years ago, South Africa usurped Australia as the world’s top macadamia producer. Other major producers include Kenya, China and Hawaii.

Macadamia trees require a warm climate, lots of rain and well-drained soil. They don’t bear a commercially viable amount of fruit for nearly a decade, and then they’re quirky about signaling the state of ripeness. Thus, cultivators must wait for the nuts to drop before harvesting them, by hand.

Macadamias are well worth the wait. Healthy as well as delicious, they’re rich in Vitamins A and B-1. They have abundant flavonoids (which combat the oxidative stress behind so many diseases), plus monounsaturated fatty acids, which reduce harmful cholesterol, while boosting beneficial HDL levels. In addition, research suggests that the palmitoleic acid in macadamias speeds up metabolism, helping the body process fat efficiently.

Wholesale buyers shopping in bulk may prefer our 25 pound cases of raw macadamia halves. Individual shoppers may prefer our one or five pound bags. We also offer roasted and salted halves and whole combo, whole raw and macadamia meal.