pexels-tony-wu-8162043

Everything You Need to Know about Macadamia Nuts

For thousands of years, macadamia nuts have been an essential part of the Aboriginal diet in Australia. These small, round nuts have a similar appearance to a chickpea. These nuts are also known as Australia nuts or Queensland nuts. It was during the late 19th century when macadamia nuts were uncovered by the rest of the world. They became well-known in Pacific Island cuisines. Most of the world's macadamia nuts can be found in Hawaii, South Africa, and Australia. Although a large portion of the commercially grown varieties originally came from the tree in Queensland, Australia.

What Are Macadamia Nuts?

Macadamia nuts are fruits that are produced from tropical evergreen trees. Aside from being rich in nutrition, they are strongly desired due to their creamy texture and sweet buttery flavor. Cracking the shell is not easy, in fact, a piece of special machinery will be needed. This is probably the reason why macadamias are one of the most expensive nuts in the world. Most often, these nuts are sold raw or roasted. To preserve their freshness, they are stored in jars or sealed cans.

How to Use Macadamia Nuts

Macadamia nuts can be combined with fish, chocolate, and coconut. You can even use crushed and toasted macadamia nuts in making a pie crust. Or you can roast them with a bit of chili powder, which is a perfect topper for a spicy salad. Others would use coarsely chopped nuts in coating a fish filet.

In most recipes, you can substitute macadamia nuts with other types of nuts and vice versa. This can be done without compromising the quality of the original recipe. You can try using them as a garnish for your favorite soup or use them for your holiday stuffing or as an ingredient for your chocolate chip cookies.

Although some macadamia fanatics might not agree, there are a few nuts that you can use as a substitute if you are having a hard time finding macadamias or if you don’t have enough money for them. Some good substitutes include hazelnuts and Brazil nuts, which are high in fat. Cashews have the same texture as macadamias. Another option would be macadamia nut oil which can be used for drizzling on your roasted vegetables. You can also purchase dairy-free macadamia nut milk, macadamia nut butter, and gluten-free macadamia nut flour.

The following measurement equivalents can help you in determining the number of macadamia nuts that you need for your recipe:
  • One pound of shelled macadamia nuts is equivalent to 3 1/3 cups
  • Four ounces of macadamia nuts is equivalent to one cup of whole nuts
  • One 7-ounce jar of macadamias is equivalent to about 1 1/2 cups of nuts
  • One 5-ounce can of macadamia nuts is equivalent to about 1 1/4 cups of nuts

What Do Macadamia Nuts Taste Like?

Dr. Paulo’s Green Coffee - Discover the art of home roasting with high quality Kona green coffee beans, allowing you to customize your brew. Macadamia nuts, considered the chunkiest of the nut family, may have a thick exterior but it has a sweet buttery, and creamy flavor. By roasting them, the flavor can be improved, at the same time, they will be crunchier.

Due to its rich and creamy flavor, you can use macadamia nuts in various types of dishes, whether it is the main course or a dessert. There are a lot of macadamia nuts recipes that you can find on the internet.

Where to Purchase Macadamia Nuts

Macadamia nuts can be purchased from online grocery retailers or any local grocery stores. However, keep in mind that their quality can likely vary. If you are purchasing them in bulk, then always verify if the store frequently turns them over. You will know if the macadamia nuts are still fresh if they have light color. Avoid choosing the brownish ones because they are already rancid. Once they are roasted, they will have a golden color. If they look powdery, then they are already past their prime.

How to Store Macadamia Nuts

It is important to know that macadamia nuts can quickly go rancid because of their high oil content. Hence, it is essential that you have to keep these nuts in an airtight container and place the container in the refrigerator. In this way, they can probably last for up to nine months. However, their shelf life can be shortened to about six months if you store them in the pantry. While if you keep them frozen in an airtight container, then they can probably last up to a year.

What Are the Health Benefits of Macadamia Nuts?

Macadamia nuts are not only creamy, but they also have lots of essential health benefits as well. They taste like coconut and have a distinctive nutritional value. Macadamia nuts consist of phytonutrients and nutrients including iron, folate, vitamins A and B, manganese, and antioxidants. Furthermore, they also have beneficial fatty acids, which can help in lowering the risk of heart disease. Additionally, these nuts can also help in preventing and treating diabetes.

Macadamia nuts can help in improving your heart health since they are rich in fiber and minerals such as potassium and magnesium. These nuts can also help in lowering your blood pressure and cholesterol. The fiber that is included in these nuts can also aid in treating diabetes. At the same time, the antioxidants can help in rejuvenating your skin and hair.
Dr. Paulo’s Coffee Lovers Gift Set - Treat yourself or a loved one to a high quality selection of our finest Kona coffee varieties.

Macadamia Nuts Promote Heart Health

Based on some studies, macadamia nuts should be part of a heart-healthy diet since they can aid in lowering cholesterol, hence preventing the risk of cardiovascular disease. Since they are rich in monounsaturated fatty acids, they can help in fighting inflammation and oxidative stress. As a result, it can help in reducing the risk of coronary artery disease.

According to the American Heart Association, people who are suffering from diabetes can reduce the risk of heart disease by incorporating nuts in their diet. The reason behind this is that the monounsaturated fats found in nuts can help in improving your lipid blood profiles. It is also believed that these nuts can lower blood pressure, which promotes heart health. This quality of macadamia nuts can be attributed to their potassium content.

Macadamia Nuts Can Improve Blood Sugar Levels

Generally, nuts are known to help in relieving certain health issues that are caused by diabetes. This is further proven by a Canadian study that reveals that tree nuts such as macadamia nuts can help in improving glycemic control specifically in individuals who have type 2 diabetes. Macadamia nuts include distinctive macro and micronutrients and other types of bioactive compounds that can help in improving blood sugar levels and fight the ill effects caused by diabetes.

Another study reveals that although macadamia nuts include fats, they can still be consumed even if the person has diabetes. Since these nuts consist of monounsaturated fatty acids, they could lower bad cholesterol.

Macadamia Nuts Can Help in Weight Loss

If you move your body and follow the proper diet, then it could be possible that you will not lose weight. One way of doing it is to include macadamia nuts in your diet. Macadamia nuts have less carbohydrates, in fact, one ounce of the nuts is only equivalent to four grams of carbs. However, its calories are a bit higher, for instance, one ounce of nuts consist of about 205 calories. But there is no need to worry, consuming two ounces of the nuts means that you are getting closer to your weight loss goals.

Since these nuts contain fiber, then consuming them in the morning can prevent you from feeling hungry. These nuts can also help in achieving healthy weight gain. Most probably, it's because they consist of more calories which probably comes from healthy monounsaturated fats. Unfortunately, it requires more research to support this.

It is also believed that macadamia nuts can help in preventing abdominal obesity, which can result in metabolic syndrome. However, more research is needed to prove this.

Macadamia Nuts Can Improve Bone Health

Three minerals that can help in boosting bone health, magnesium, calcium, and potassium, are found in macadamia nuts. Also, these nuts have less sodium. It contains phosphorus that can contribute to the mineralization of teeth and bones.

Macadamia Nuts Can Support Gut Health

Macadamia nuts consist of fiber that can help in promoting gut health. Several studies suggest that dietary fiber can be beneficial to gut microbiota. These nuts are also rich in copper. Although it is suggested that copper bolsters the enzymatic reactions that enhance digestive health, more research is needed to confirm it.

Macadamia Nuts Can Help in Relieving Inflammation

A study shows that consuming macadamia nuts can help in relieving inflammation, which can likely lead to coronary heart disease. A mice study also shows the effectiveness of macadamia nut oil in the treatment of inflammation. These nuts are also good sources of alpha-linoleic acid, a certain type of anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acid that can help in the treatment of inflammation as well as in the prevention of subsequent arthritis.

When buying your macadamia nuts, you should be very careful. You should only purchase them from reputable sources such as Dr. Paulo’s Kona Coffee & Macadamia Nut Farms. Aside from macadamia nuts, we also sell 100% Kona coffee. For more details about our products, you can call us at 808-333-1959 or send us an email at info@drpauloskonacoffee.com.



Back to blog