Candlenut in different culture

Candlenut is also known as India walnut, candleberry, and kukui nut. Candlenuts have a s similar taste and texture to macadamia nuts. They are used especially in the cuisines of Hawaii, Indonesia and Malaysia.

Candlenut gets its name from its ability to burn and give off light like a candle, which is the result of the highly inflammable oil content of the seed. In parts of Indonesia the nuts are roasted and crushed into a sauce or cut into slivers then roasted and used as a condiment with salt and chili. The candlenut seed is an indispensable spice in Indonesian cuisine. Possessing little flavor on its own, its main role is as a thickener.

The early Polynesian, who settled ‘Hawaii with the green back’ as they sometimes referred to the lush land, would gather at night by the light of candlenut torches and listen to their storyteller. The oil is taken as a laxative: and the wood of the tree is made into canoes.

In Hawaii, the nuts are roasted then finely chopped and made into relish used in preparing raw fish. In Japan, the bark of the tree is used to treat various tumors. In Jawa, the bark is used to treat dysentery.
Candlenut in different culture