Candle Nuts

What is Candle Nuts ? Also called candleberry, Indian walnut, kemiri, varnish tree, nuez de la India, buah keras, godou or kukui nut tree, and Kekuna tree, the candlenut (Aleurites moluccana) is a flowering tree. Rising to a height of 15 to 25 meters, the tree has light green foliage and broad spread branches. The nut has a firm, wrinkled shell and a round, 4-6 cm diameter. The source of oil is a light yellow, waxy and meaty kernel found on within. Inside one candlenut fruit may one to two seeds. First domesticated in Southeast Asia, candlenut is Eastern Indonesian archeological sites have found remnants of harvested candlenuts going back 11,000 BP. Austronesian travellers introduced candlenuts to the Pacific Islands. Growing across the tropics today, the candlenut tree may even be found as far south as Australia and New Zealand. How do I use Candle Nuts ? In Malaysian, Indonesian, even Singaporean cuisines, curries or stew often call for candlenuts. The great oil concentration in candlenuts helps to explain why curries and stews have a richer sauce. Candle Nuts benefits : Indonesia Candlenuts are delicious as well as medicinal. Their cooking applications help them to be somewhat…