Macadamia Nut Facts

With their buttery and rich flavor, macadamia nuts are considered a staple for many sweet treats and are also packed with healthy fats and a ton of nutrients, which means they’re perfect for your favorite dessert recipes or as a healthy snack! If you love the taste of a warm macadamia nut cookie, we think you’ll love these 17 facts about its star ingredient!

They are native to Australia.
Today, a majority of them are commercially grown in Hawaii, specifically on the Big Island. They arrived in Hawaii in 1881, they were introduced by William H. Purvis, a sugar plantation manager.
It took many years after they were introduced to Hawaii to successfully grow a macadamia tree.
In Australia, Aboriginal people would travel to the eastern slopes of Australia’s Great Dividing Range to eat macadamias.
Aboriginal people had different names for macadamias: “Boombera”, “Jindill”, “Baupal”, and “Kindal Kindal.”
They were considered a delicacy to the Aboriginal People.
Hawaii-grown macadamia nuts are harvested year-round.
They were named after Scottish scientist, John MacAdam (Macadam) by John’s friend & colleague, Baron Ferdinand Heinrich von Mueller who identified and classified the tree.
It takes 300 pounds per square inch to crack macadamia nut shells, making them the strongest nuts.
Unlike other nuts, they are not picked from the tree, instead, they are harvested when they have fallen to the ground.
The U.S. consumes 51% of macadamia nuts grown.
They are calorie-dense, with only one cup having almost 950 calories.
At $25 a pound, they are the most expensive nuts in the world.
It can take 7-10 years for the trees to begin producing nuts.
Out of the 10 species of macadamia trees, only two produce the nuts that are eaten.
Macadamia nut oil is used in hair care products due to its fatty acids, which is said to moisturize and smooth hair.
The University of Hawaii has spent years conducting agricultural research to develop macadamia trees.