MACADAMIA NUT PRODUCTION

The making of the perfect nut

Behind today's delicious macadamia nut lies years of creative research and analysis. It took 20 years of studies by the University of Hawaii and 30 years of trial and error by Hawaiian industry to fully understand the complexities of cultivating and processing the macadamia. The result is the perfect macadamia nut - golden, with fine textural qualities, and a sweet, creamy taste.

Macadamia are considered today to be the most exclusive of all fancy nuts. Although it is a tree nut similar to cashews, almonds, pistachios, and the like, macadamia rank as a delicacy among nut connoisseurs. This is due partly to its cost, but mostly to its creamy, delicate taste and delightful texture.

The widespread popularity of the macadamia has skyrocketed remarkably in just a few years due to its unique taste. Hawaii supplies 22 percent of the world's production of macadamia nuts and continues to achieve major success in the nut industry. Macadamia are presently in high demand in Hawaii, and enjoy growing popularity on the Mainland and around the world, contributing to its reputation as the world's most prestigious nut.

The Macadamia Tree

The macadamia tree is a subtropical evergreen of the Protaecae family. There are two species of macadamia that produce edible nuts: Macadamia integrifolia and Macadamia tetraphylla. Both species are attractive evergreens that sport long, dark green leaves resembling those of holly. The trees can reach a height of 60 feet or more, and can be grown as combination ornamental, shade and nut trees.

The Macadamia integrifolia, commonly known as "smooth-shell" macadamia, is the only species proven to be suitable for large-scale production of high-quality dessert nuts. The consistent quality of the macadamia produced by this particular species helps to keep it commercially feasible.

The nut-bearing cycle of the "smooth-shell" macadamia begins with tiny white buds. These sweet-scented flowers are borne in racemes 6 to 12 inches long. Although there are hundreds of flowers per raceme, an average of two nutlets will develop.

The mature nutlets resemble small green limes with a husk that opens along one crevice revealing a single brown seed inside. The brown seed coat is commonly called the shell and is approximately one inch in diameter. Within the shell is the kernel or the nut, which contains more than 72 percent oil and 4 percent sugar when dry. The stability of the oil and sugar content in the kernels of this species produces uniform quality.

The Macadamia tetraphylla, otherwise known as the "rough-shell" macadamia, produces slightly spindle-shaped nuts with rough, pebbly surfaces. The flowers of this species are usually pink and the kernels are usually darker in color, often with grayish upper half. Due to the varying oil and sugar content in each individual nut, inconsistencies in color, texture and flavor are evident. Varieties of this species have not yet been found suitable for commercial processing.