How is this possible? Well, the answer is very simple. Hawaii is the macadamia nut capital of the world, growing 90% of the world's macadamia nuts. 

    What makes this even more amazing is the fact that the macadamia nut tree is not native to Hawaii . In fact, it was not until 1882 that the tree was first planted in Hawaii near in Kapulena on the Big Island of Hawaii. 
    The macadamia nut tree originated in Australia . The macadamia was classified and named jointly by Baron Sir Ferdinand Jakob Heinrich von Mueller, Director for the Botanical Gardens in Melbourne and Walter Hill, first superintendent of the Botanic Gardens in Brisbane . 

    The tree was named in honor of Mueller's friend, Dr. John Macadam, a noted lecturer in practical and theoretical chemistry at the University of Melbourne , and a Member of Parliament.

    William H. Purvis, a sugar plantation manager on the Big Island , visited Australia and was impressed by the beauty of the tree. He brought the seeds back to Hawaii where he planted them at Kapulena. For the next 40 years, the trees were raised primarily as ornamental trees and not for their fruit.

    In 1921 a Massachusetts man named Ernest Shelton Van Tassell established the first macadamia plantation near Honolulu . This early attempt, however, met with failure, since seedlings from the same tree would often produce nuts of differing yield and quality. The University of Hawaii entered the picture and embarked upon over 20 years of research to improve the tree's crop.

    It wasn't until the 1950s, when larger corporations entered the picture, that production of macadamia nuts for commercial sale became substantial. The first major investor was Castle & Cooke, owners of the Dole Pineapple Co. Soon after, the C. Brewer and Company Ltd. began their investment in macadamia nuts. 

    Eventually C. Brewer bought Castle & Cooke's macadamia operations and began marketing its nuts under the Mauna Loa brand in 1976. Since then, Mauna Loa 's macadamia nuts have continued to grow in popularity. Mauna Loa remains the biggest producer of macadamia nuts in the world and their name is synonymous with macadamia nut products.  Mauna Loa is now owned by Hershey's.

    There are, however, a number of smaller growers who produce nuts. One of the best known is a small farm on the island of Molokai owned by Tuddie and Kammy Purdy. It is an excellent place to stop to get a personal lesson about Macadamia nut cultivation, and to taste and purchase fresh or roasted nuts as well as other macadamia nut products.

• Macadamia nuts are not picked from the tree but are fully ripened when they fall and are then harvested.
• Hawaii 's 700 farms and 8 processing plants employ 4,000 workers.
• The macadamia tree is related to the protea family.
• Total Hawaii macadamia nut farm value in 1999 was $37.4 million.
• Tough nut to crack: it takes 300 lbs. per square inch to break the macadamia nut shell, hardest of all nut shells.
• U.S. is the largest consumer (51%) with Japan following at 15%.
• Macadamia nuts are high in monounsaturated fatty acid (?good? fat) and have been demonstrated to help reduce overall cholesterol levels.
• The Hawaii Macadamia Nut Association's launching its 100% Hawaii-grown Macadamia Nuts campaign: The Hawaiian Macadamia, Grown with Aloha.
• Virtually all of Hawaii 's macadamia nuts come from the Big Island of Hawaii.
• Nuts are high in minerals and protein and are part of a healthy diet.
• Hawaii growers are the world leaders in cultivation techniques

Hawaiian Food Recipes, Kauai Menu Magazine

    Macadamia nuts are becoming loved by nutritionists everywhere. Macadamia Nuts are rich in monounsaturated oils, even better then olive oils. Monounsaturated oils lower cholesterol and help prevent heart attacks.

    Cholesterol and its content in food has long been the subject of cardiovascular studies. It is related to fat sticking to proteins and blocking blood vessels, which restricts blood flow to and from the heart. Low-density proteins (LDP) stick to saturated fats, from meat, butter, coconut oil and palm oil, and contribute to heart disease. Polyunsaturated fats, from macadamia nuts, fish and vegetables, stick to high-density proteins (HDP), to help clear cholesterol from blood vessels.

    Macadamia nuts and oil lowers concentrations of LDP's while providing natural oils for good nutrition. Olive oil is the cornerstone of the Mediterranean diet which produces the lowest incidents of heart disease and heart attacks in the world. Macadamia nut oil is becoming increasingly popular oil for use in the fine cuisine and healthy diets.

    Macadamia nut oil is used in many recipes including salad dressings, baking and especially for sautéing vegetables and preparing fish.

    The macadamia nut is comprised of protein, carbohydrates and unsaturated fats. It contains some Vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, calcium and iron. Macadamias have about the same number of calories as other nuts.

    Studies are also showing that use of unsaturated oils, like macadamia nut oil, reduces the occurrence of breast cancer.

    What the researchers were surprised to find was that the people who ate the most nuts had the lowest risk of heart disease. When compared to those eating nuts less than once per week, those eating nuts five or more times per week had less than half the risk of heart attacks and heart attack deaths. Eating nuts helped decrease heart disease risk for all kinds of people. It helped men as well as women, those overweight as well as of normal weight, and those with high blood pressure as well as those with normal blood pressure.

    Kamananui Orchard is a family operated, 24 acre Macadamia Nut Farm. Nestled in the foothills of Mt. Kaala , the Island of Oahu 's tallest Peak, Kamananui Orchard is the only working Macadamia Nut Farm on the island. The Paty Family has been growing macadamias here for over 30 years and offers the freshest estate-grown macadamia nuts available. They market their nuts through their Farm Outlet on the beautiful island of Kauai, The Kauai Macadamia Nut Co. , and hope you can visit them in person. Until then,they would be honored to send you fresh, farm-direct macadamias from their farm to your home.