It has long been recognized by consumers, cooks and food professionals that macadamia nuts are indeed the world's finest tasting nut. Medical and nutritional scientists are now finding compelling evidence that macadamia nuts (like many other tree nuts) are also nutritionally beneficial. Certainly macadamia nuts have a high total fat content, but research over the past two decades clearly shows that the type of fat is much more important than the level of fat in the diet. Macadamia nuts have the highest level of monounsaturatcd fats of all nuts (and even higher than olive oil) and thus can be of significant nutritional benefit.

The hardest shell of any nut protects the golden, buttery flavored kernel. A green, fleshy husk encloses the durable, brown shell. The nuts grow in clusters along the branches of the evergreen macadamia tree. The harvest season begins when the nuts mature and fall from the tree. In most areas, the labor-intensive harvesting is done by hand. After the nuts are dehusked and dried, they are then cracked and carefully sorted. Kernel recoveries in the macadamia industry range from 14% to 25%, which means if you crack one pound of nut in shell, you recover 1/6 to 1/4 pound of edible nut.

A relatively new crop, the macadamia tree was discovered in the subtropical rainforests of Queensland, Australia in 1857 by the Australian botanist Baron Ferdinand von Mueller. Von Mueller named the tree after his friend, Dr. John Macadam, a scientist and philosopher. It is not believed that Dr. Macadam, who died at the age of 38, even saw a macadamia tree, nor tasted a macadamia nut.

In 1882, William Herbert Purvis introduced the tree crop to Hawaii when he brought seeds from Australia and planted them at Kukuihaele, on the island of Hawaii. One of these trees is still alive and bearing sizable crops of medium-sized, smooth-shell nuts.

Although the macadamia nut experienced limited early success in Australia, it has flourished in the temperate to sub-tropical conditions in Hawaii. The rich volcanic soil and abundant sunshine, mixed with cooling tropical rain and gentle tradewinds, make conditions perfect for growing this fastidious crop. Under these favorable conditions, the macadamia nut tree begins to produce edible nuts in six to seven years after planting. If well grown, the tree may reach a height of sixty feet and a spread of forty feet, and continue to be productive for sixty years or more.

Nestled on the lush coastal slopes of Kona, Hawaii in the area called "Kapu'a," lies the world's single largest macadamia nut tree orchard. Since 1986, MacFarms of Hawaii has owned and operated this 3,850 acre Big Island landmark. Constant care and effective management, along with abundant sunshine and cooling tropical rains, have helped MacFarms of Hawaii become a world leader in the macadamia nut industry.

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