Mystery ingredient: Candle (kemiri) nuts
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 28/04/2012 (5119 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
What is it?
The soft, oily seeds of a flowering tropical tree of the species Aleurites moluccana, which related to the castor oil plant and native to the rainforests of Australia, Malaysia and several islands in the South Pacific. It gets its name from its ability to burn and give off light, which is due to its high oil content.
Looks like:
Candle nuts, which have a hard outer shell, are cream-coloured and look similar to macadamia nuts, though with a slightly rougher texture.
Tastes like:
NOTE: Because they contain saponin and phorbol, raw candle nuts are mildly toxic — it even says so on the package — and can cause gastric disturbances. So cook before eating!
Roasted, they are said to have a nutty, almond-like flavour.
Used in:
Roasted candle nuts have long been a source of food for Australian aborigines and other Pacific peoples. Traditionally, they have also been used to fashion a crude candle by threading the rib of a palm leaf through the raw nut like a wick and lighting it.
The nuts are most commonly used ground up as a thickening agent in Asian dishes. A Hawaiian condiment known as inamona is made from roasted candlenuts made into a paste with salt.
As well, the oily nut is used in traditional Asian medicine to treat gastro-intestinal ailments, as a hair-growth stimulant and a cholesterol-lowering agent.
Found at: Lucky Supermarket, 1051 Winnipeg Ave.