Macadamias are native to Australia. Macadamia nuts were always considered a delicacy and were used for trade between tribes or gifts for special occasions. A British botanist, Ferdinand Von Mueller named the genus Macadamia in honor of his friend John McAdam. 

The largest producers of macadamia nuts are Australia and South Africa representing together around 50% of the global production, followed by Kenya, China, the United States, Brazil… Overall, Macadamia is still a tiny crop with global quantity of around 63 000 MT a year. 

We source macadamia from both Australia and South Africa.

How are macadamias grown?

Flowering takes place in late winter/early spring and can spread over several months. The macadamia flowers are pollinated by bees and other pollinators. Nuts form in early summer and are ready for harvest around early Autumn. 

Because flowering is spread over several months, macadamia nuts mature and drop to the ground over a large period of time and the picking has to be done regularly. It is even possible that flowering and harvesting overlap. When nuts are ready, they fall naturally on the ground where they would be picked up by machines. 

The white nut you know is protected by a hard shell and a husk that have to be removed.