The Macadamia
The Macadamia is a native rainforest tree known to the Aboriginals as Kindal Kindal. Its home is the rich volcanic soils of northern New South Wales and South East Queensland where it thrives in the warm sub-tropical climate and high annual rainfall.
There are two species being Macadamia integrifolia (smooth shelled) and Macadamia tetraphylla (rough shelled). The Macadamia integrifolia forms the basis of all macadamias cultivated commercially today.
The trees have shiny dark green leaves, and grow to a height of 12 to 15 metres. It can take up to nine years before a tree bears sufficient nuts to be commercially productive. When in flower each tree has a multitude of long, delicate, sweet-smelling white blossoms. Each spray of 40 - 50 flowers produces from four to fifteen 'nutlets', which will eventually ripen into nuts.
The nuts themselves grow encased in a hard, woody shell, which is protected by a green-brown fibrous husk. After harvesting, the fibrous outer husk is removed and the husk material is recycled as organic mulch onto the farm.
The nuts are harvested between April and September and are picked up by a combination of mechanical harvesting and hand-picking after they fall to the ground. The hard shell is removed with highly specialised machinery, which cracks the tough shell of the macadamia without damaging the precious kernel within.
The oil is made by cold-pressing choice select macadamia nuts. As always, the best nuts make the best oil. It takes 100 kilos of the highest quality nuts to make 40 kg of premium-grade oil. The oil is free of any additives, is not chemically treated and is GM free.