Why Are Macadamia Nuts So Expensive?

are actually native to Australia. We spoke with Glenn Sacco, and economic development specialist with the Hawaii County Department of Research and Development. He explained macadamia nuts are originally from Australia, but much of the early research, breeding work, and quality development were done by the University of Hawaii on the island of Hawaii. These cultivars are suited for the Hawaii climate and do not produce the same high quality nut

when grown in foreign conditions. Cultivars is short for cultivated varieties, and these are specific types of plays selected and cultivated by humans. In this case, the plant is a large bushy tree that starts producing macademia nuts by the time it's about four or five years old, so how exactly

did these Australian cultivars end up in Hawaii. For that, you can thank one William Purvis, who planted the first macademia tree on the Big Island in one Purvis didn't initially intend for the tree seeds to be a hit. He planted the trees as wind breaks for the sugarcane fields. The plants were functional and also happened to be quite pretty, but he didn't suspect they could bear such delectable and

profitable seeds. About a decade later, one R. A. Jordan planted some macademia trees on Oahu, the trees that researchers think is the ancestor of most of Hawaii's trees, and the nut quickly became a popular snack among businessmen who came to Hawaii to profit off of sugar plantations. In the early nineteen hundreds, the Hawaiian Agricultural Experiment Station was

established to get new crops growing on the island. Since this newly established United States territory was relying almost exclusively on sugar following the collapse of the coffee market in the nineteen twenties, the government offered a five year tax exemption on land that was used solely for macademia production, but most farmers weren't interested. That is, until roasted macadamia nuts started popping up in stores and consumers went wild.

Demand for the nuts went up, and the number of trees planted for nut production more than doubled from nineteen thirty two to nineteen thirty eight. Sales slumped a bit after that, but by the nineteen fifties, Hawaii was churning out macadaemia goodies to stack fans throughout the world, and major companies were making a pretty penny off of them.

Speaking of why are macadamia is so expensive? While macadamia's clearly have an interesting past and they taste heavenly coated in thick layers of chocolate, do they really merit their often exorbitant price tag. After all, At around twenty five dollars a pound, they're considered the most expensive nuts in

the world, So what's the deal? A bunch of factors go into the price, but a lot of them come down to the fact that macadamias can't be grown effectively on the continental United States, and shipping them in from Hawaii is costly, and growing things in Hawaii is costly to begin with, because it's a small archipelago that some three thousand miles that's nearly five thousand kilometers away from anything in Macadamius made the news for a seventeen percent

price increase, which Sacho attributed to Hawaii's fixed harvest acreage and a higher global demand. Furthermore, a Sacho said, it takes seven years for a macadamia nut tree to produce a crop. Demand remains high and prices are up to a dollar twenty per pound. Despite this, there's tremendous pressure on the industry. The agricultural labor shortage continues and that's caused wages and benefit costs to increase. Invasive pests continue

to affect the orchard health and production. The Hawaii land prices are so high that orchard expansion is too costly and producers can't wait for seven years. Therefore, the production acreage remains steady despite the increased demand for the nuts. Okay, so that explains the cost, But are they actually good

for you? High fat foods used to be the most demonized of all kitchen staples, basically because of a very effective and sort of insidious marketing campaign put out by the sugar industry, but thanks to current research and slightly less hysteric marketing hype, such things as nuts, oils, and seeds are getting their due as healthy options. We also spoke with registered dietitian at Danielle Burniture. She said macadamia nuts are high in mono unsaturated fats, low in net carbohydrates,

and a good source of copper, manganese, and diamond. Mono Unsaturated fatty acids have been shown to lower L d L cholesterol levels the bad kind, especially when they're used in place of saturated fats and refined carbohydrates in one's diet. Net carbs are important to consider because it clues you in on how much fiber something contains in relation to the amount of total carbohydrates present. Having more fiber is

crucial to gut health. Copper assists with iron absorption and transport in the body, while manganese and diamon are essential for carbohydrate metabolism. And while all of that sounds great, we still live in a society that tends to obsess over numbers. So at two hundred and three calories and twenty one grams of fat per serving, a single serving being just ten to twelve nut kernels, and that's just nuts, not nuts, dust and chocolate are macadamia is really a

wholesome snack. Burniture said. Although nuts are hiring calories, they're also packed with fiber, heart healthy fats, protein, vitamins, and minerals essential to our diets. Having a small handful is a filling and nutritious snack to tied you over between meals, or it can be used as a way to round out a meal on top of a salad or yogurt bowl. They are a particularly good substitute for packaged ultra processed

snacks like potato chips. Calorie for calorie, an ounce of chips and ounce of nuts are equivalent, but the protein and fiber in the nuts will keep you energized, full and focused. She said. Don't fear fats. They're essential for hormone health, optimal brain function, and absorption of many nutrients. And according to Sacho, macadamia's aren't just a delicious treat for humans, they can be healthy snacks for rodents too.

He said. Some pet rat owners buy the nuts in the shell to give to the rats to gnaw on. This helps wear down the rats teeth Today's episode was written by Michelle Konstantinovski and produced by Tyler Clay. Brain Stuff is a production of I Heart Radio's How Stuff Works. For more and this months of other nutritious topics, visit

our home planet, how stuff Works dot com. And for more podcasts from my heart Radio visit they are heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.