National Macadamia Nut Day takes place on September 4, and we are celebrating Australia’s underrated gem — macadamia nuts. The country is mostly known for its wildlife and beautiful landscapes, but it is also home to the glorious macadamia nut. Continue reading to learn about the long history of this nutritious nut.
Macadamia trees are native to Australia and are classified as a tree type that consists of four species, each able to produce edible nuts. For this reason, the tree is now grown in different regions of the world, the macadamia nut is also known as the Queensland nut, the maroochi nut, and the bauple nut. Rare as they are, macadamia nuts are highly sought after in the culinary world. When it comes to desirability, the most popular name on the list is the white chocolate macadamia nut cookie which is without a doubt one of the finest cookies created, after the chocolate chip cookie.
Macadamia nut trees were first discovered by native Aborigines in the rainforests of Australia, some 1,000 years ago. By textbook date, the nut was introduced in Europe by Allan Cunningham in 1828, although at the time it had no name. It would take another 29 years for the Australian nut to be named after Scottish-Australian chemist John Macadam.
In 1882, macadamia trees were planted in Hawaii to shield sugar cane from the wind, but the trees weren’t fully cultivated until 1888. The nuts from the trees were an instant hit among the locals, leading to the establishment of the nut industry.
