Finding the Best Macadamia Nuts: Tips & Advice

Let’s talk macadamia nuts.

Did you know that macadamia nuts are native to Australia? 

According to new research quoted in the Guardian, a small town in Queensland is the origin of 70% of the world’s macadamia nuts:

“New research into the fatty seed has revealed the world’s dominant commercial cultivar – grown in Hawaii – originated from a single tree in southern Queensland from the 19th century.

Native to Australia, macadamia trees are only found naturally in southern Queensland and northern New South Wales. The Hawaiian macadamia industry was grown from one cultivar from Australia that was repeatedly cloned.”

When shopping for mac nuts, consider these tips:

• Macadamia nuts are very oily! They can go rancid if exposed to heat. Hence, it might be best to order these nuts to be shipped in the cooler parts of the year.

• Store mac nuts in a fridge. Again, macadamia nuts can go bad if left out at room temperature.

• If you buy salted macadamia nuts for baking, consider adjusting recipes to reduce salt. Yes, you can use the macadamia nuts recommended in this article for baking cookies and other items—but since these nuts are salted, you may need to reduce the salt in your cookie recipe as a result.

After doing a blind taste test with several major brands, here are our favorite macadamia nuts! Enjoy!

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