The largest producers of macadamia nuts are Australia and South Africa (55% of total world production), followed by Kenya, China, the United States (Hawaii), Guatemala, Malawi, Vietnam, Colombia, New Zealand and Swaziland. Known for their sweet and rich flavor, macadamia nuts quickly became popular among sugar barons who came to the Islands to start the sugar industry. Known for their sweet and rich flavor, macadamia nuts quickly became popular with sugar barons who came to the islands to start the sugar industry. The small town of Gympie, in Queensland, has been identified as the source of 70% of the world's macadamia nuts.
So how exactly did these Australian cultivars end up in Hawaii? For that, you can thank William Purvis, who planted the first macadamia tree on the Big Island in 1881. In commercial environments, macadamias reproduce through grafting, meaning that parts of different plants come together to create a new one. The floating fibrous outer shell of macadamia is removed within 24 hours after harvest to reduce thermal respiration and facilitate drying. The largest producers of macadamia nuts are Australia and South Africa (55% of total world production), followed by Kenya, China, the United States (Hawaii), Guatemala, Malawi, Vietnam, Colombia, New Zealand and Swaziland. The high fat and sugar content makes macadamia nuts ideal for many healthy eating and weight loss programs, including the ketogenic diet, which reduces carbohydrates and emphasizes good fats.
Examining the gift shop at Kona International Airport, on the Big Island of Hawaii, I searched for the right box of macadamia nut treats to show my family that I was thinking about them during my Hawaiian spa getaway. Renowned for their sweet and rich flavor, macadamia nuts grew rapidly and became popular among sugar barons who founded the Hawaiian Islands to start the sugar industry. Sales plummeted a little after that, but in the 1950s, Hawaii was producing macadamia treats for snack fans around the world, and major companies were making quite a bit of money with them. And while they have become a staple of Hawaiian agriculture, macadamias are actually native to Australia.
The macadamia nut is native to Australia, but Hawaii has created an industry from the macadamia nut. While macadamia nuts are high in good fats, they are also high in calories, meaning that their high consumption carries a risk of gaining weight.
