In Indonesian and Malaysian cuisine, it is commonly used in curries, [20] and on the Indonesian island of Java, it is used to make a thick sauce that is eaten with vegetables and rice. Remains of harvested candlenuts have been recovered from archaeological sites in Timor and Morotai in eastern Indonesia, dated to around 13,000 and 11,000 BP, respectively.

Some weight loss products like to use candlenuts because of its natural laxative properties, but there is no scientific evidence that it assists with weight loss. Roasted candle nuts have been a source of food for the Australian Aborigines and other Pacific peoples. The candlenut tree itself also belongs to the same family as the poinsettia , a plant that you might associate with Christmas time!Coconut Oil and Flour: For anyone who has a serious nut allergy, sometimes a mixture of coconut oil and flour can be used as a substitute. After harvesting, the nuts are generally roasted and shelled prior to being sold in the markets of Malaysia and Indonesia. For thousands of years, candlenut oil has been used in many beauty rituals and skin care treatments thanks to its potent moisturizing properties. In the Philippines, the fruit and tree are traditionally known as lumbang, [23] after which Lumban, a lakeshore town in Laguna province, is named. This relative of the macadamia nut has a high oil content, which even allowed it to once be used to fashion candles, hence the name!

Hawaiians had many other uses for the tree, including leis from the shells, leaves, and flowers; ink for tattoos from charred nuts; a varnish with the oil; and fishermen would chew the nuts and spit them on the water to break the surface tension and remove reflections, giving them greater underwater visibility.The genus name derives from the Ancient Greek ἄλευρον ( áleuron), meaning "flour" or "meal", and refers to the new growth which appears to be dusted with flour. Outside of Southeast Asia, macadamia nuts are sometimes substituted for candlenuts when they are not available, as they have a similarly high oil content and texture when pounded. Plus, its subtly sweet candlenut fragrance will leave you feeling like you're on your way to a tropical Indonesian vacation! Candlenuts are used in many Asian dishes as a thickening agent, most commonly being found in Malaysian recipes, especially for satay. In plantations, each tree will produce 30–80 kg of nuts, and the nuts yield 15 to 20% of their weight in oil.

Several parts of the plant have been used in traditional medicine in most of the areas where it is native. K., The nuts are very oily and when roasted, candlenuts loses its toxicity, gives a pleasing, nutty, almond-like flavor.

The closest flavor is raw macadamia nuts and they are even considered macadamia cousins because of their similar taste.

From thickening culinary dishes and sauces to formulating nature-inspired skincare rituals, these hardened nuts offer seemingly limitless possibilities. To make tempeh, the candlenuts are pounded with chillies, shallots, garlic and usually belachan shrimp paste and fried in oil. Follow up with our pampering Candlenut Glow Body Oil , which also utilizes candlenuts to provide your skin with powerful antioxidants and skin-supporting nutrients.The Proto-Austronesian word for candlenut is reconstructed as *kamiri, with modern cognates including Hanunó'o, Iban, and Sundanese muncang; Javanese and Malay kemiri; [17] and Tetun kamii, however the Oceanian words for candlenut is believed to be derived from Proto-Austronesian *CuSuR which became Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *tuhuR, originally meaning "string together, as beads", referring to the construction of the candlenut torches. The nut is similar (though “rougher”) in flavor and texture to the macadamia nut, which has a similarly high oil content. Archaeological evidence of candlenut cultivation is also found in Neolithic sites of the Toalean culture in southern Sulawesi dated to around 3,700 to 2,300 BP.