Macadamia nuts

They originate from Australia—and still primarily come from there—where Aboriginal people have long included them in their diet. Europeans only became acquainted with this nut around 1828, and even today, relatively few people have actually tasted them. This may be because growing, cleaning, and transporting them make macadamias one of the most expensive nuts. But they’re worth it!

Pale and creamy yellow in colour, they have a rich, buttery sweetness. Although grown in several parts of the world, they are native to the rainforests of south-east Australia and are known by various names: bush nuts, Queensland nuts, and Maroochi, among others. However, their most well-known name comes from John Macadam, who was the first to describe and classify the tree.

The nuts grew wild for many years, and it wasn’t until 1880 that the first macadamia plantation was established. Like olives, they are high in unsaturated fats—more so than most other nuts—and even though these round beauties are calorie-dense, research suggests they may aid weight loss. That’s because they are rich in protein and dietary fibre, packed with minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, and selenium, and contain a range of B vitamins, along with some vitamin C and E.