The History of Macadamia Nuts

Macadamia trees are native to Australia. In the late 19th century, macadamias were brought from Queensland to Hawaii twice — first by W.H. Purvis, then by R.A. Jordan, who first cultivated macadamia trees in Honolulu. As the nuts gained popularity, Hawaiians realized that growing macadamias could be lucrative and thus began Hawaii’s robust cultivation of macadamia nuts. Interestingly, because Hawaii's macadamia trees are grown by grafting, it’s thought that most of the area's early macadamia seedlings and their modern progeny are likely derived from that initial sample brought over by Jordan. Because genetic diversity helps plants resist the effects of disease and climate change, this has implications for the future of macadamia trees. Moreover, many of the wild macadamia trees in Australia are considered threatened or endangered, while the country’s cultivated varieties, like Hawaii’s, are not particularly genetically diverse. This is currently an ongoing area of scientific research. Today, Hawaii is still known for growing macadamia nuts. They are also grown in several other countries, such as South Africa, which is currently the world's largest producer of the nuts, and are enjoyed all over the world on their own or as part of a range of savory and sweet dishes.