Australian Bush Tucker Bites presents Macadamia Nut (Macadamia species).
For tens of thousands of years, First Nations people of Australia collected, traded and roasted these nuts on the East coast. They were called names such as Goomburra, Boombera, Gyndl and Kendal.
From a nutritious oil with a high smoke point to a snack and baking ingredient, it’s the high proportion of monounsaturated fats that make these nuts great for heart health. The buttery flavour complements both sweet and savoury foods.
In history, it wasn’t just used for its flavour and nutrition. The oil was extracted to create a binding agent for face and body painting preserving clan symbols of the First Nations people of Australia.
Interestingly, this crop was first developed commercially in Hawaii before being brought back to Australia where it is now grown as a successful crop.
This post was originally published on Medium as a part of the “Australian Bush Tucker Bites” series which is also available as an eBook introducing 52 bush food plants from around Australia.
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