What are Candlenuts? (aka Kukui Nuts)

Candlenuts, or Buah Keras as it is known in Malay, is an essential ingredient in some parts of South East Asia, used for its thickening and enriching qualities.

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Candlenuts, Buah Keras in a little bucket
Candlenuts or Buah Keras

What are Candlenuts?

Candlenuts is the name for Buah Keras in English. They are from the flowering tree, Aleurites moluccanus, which grows to a massive height of about 30 metres (100 feet), with a wide reach.

The candlenut tree belong to the same family as the poinsettia, the plant many of us identify with Christmas.

Candlenut Origin

They are not native to South East Asia, even if the region is synonymous with its use. Its origin is uncertain, having been used in many parts of the world going back hundreds, even thousands of years and travelled widely with each use.

However, it is believed that the candlenut tree was first domesticated in the region, with harvest remains found in Indonesia going way back to more than 10 000 years ago.

What are Candlenuts and how to use them
Candlenuts last a long time

What do Candlenuts taste Like?

They are fairly creamy in look and flavour, with a nutty, almost almond-like flavour, but milder. They are closer to macadamia nuts in taste. They do have a slightly bitter aftertaste when eaten raw, which you shouldn’t because of their mild toxicity.

So are candlenuts toxic? All parts of the candlenut or kukui nut tree are toxic. The nuts themselves lose their mild toxicity when cooked. This is why they are toasted in their shells before being sold.

Candlenut Substitute

The best substitute for candlenuts is macadamia nuts. This is because macadamia nuts have the same mildness and creaminess as the kukui nut.

Cashew nuts can also be used, but because they are very creamy, you will want to reduce the number called for in your recipe by half.

Other names for the Kukui Nut

The kukui nut has many purposes, not just in cooking. It is known by many different names in various parts of the world. These are just some of them.

  • Buah Keras in Malay
  • Buah Kemiri in Indonesian
  • Lumbang in the Philippines
  • Kukui Nut in Hawaii
  • Godou in Sabah
  • Nuez de la India
  • Semilla de Brasil

Uses for Buah Keras

Buah Keras in Curries and Stews

As mentioned right at the start, in South East Asia, especially in Malay, Nyonya and Indonesian cooking, buah keras or buah kemiri are used to add a rich flavour to all sorts of dishes like the following (all recipes are on LinsFood.com):

Indonesian Chicken Curry with Thai Basil (Ayam Woku Kemangi)
Indonesian Chicken curry recipe, (resep Ayam Woku Kemangi), a quick and easy recipe, bursting with the scents of the herbs and aromatics used in cooking it.
Check out this recipe!
Prawn Sambal Bostador, a Eurasian Recipe from Singapore and Malaysia
Prawn Sambal Bostador is a delicious, somewhat spicy dish of prawns cooked in a chilli paste. This Eurasian recipe has its roots in Portuguese Malacca (Malaysia), and is very much Malay influenced in the spices used.
Check out this recipe!
My Mum’s Homemade Laksa Recipe, plus Video
My mum's homemade Laksa recipe, also known as laksa lemak or Laksa Johor, with homemade paste from scratch plus a Cheat's Laksa Recipe!
Check out this recipe!
Laksa in a white bowl with eggs crab claw and tofu

Candlenuts in Hawaiian Cooking

Just to prove how much the kukui nut has travelled over time, it is also an essential ingredient in the Hawaiian seasoning called Inamona. The candlenuts are roasted, imparting an earthier and smoky flavour, before being crushed and mixed with salt, and perhaps some black pepper or chilli.

Inamona works extremely well with seafood, this is why poke almost always has it. Poke is that Hawaiian dish of chopped up raw fish, not unlike ceviche. Click here for my Hawaiian Ahi Poke on LinsFood.

On top of that, citrus and herbs can also be added to inamona and the whole mix is then used as a condiment in a meal.

Hawaiian Poke topped with Kukui Nuts

Non Cooking Uses

  • The kukui nut is also used for its oil, in the health and cosmetic industries. Being high in fatty acids, it is deeply moisturising.
  • Perhaps a contested use for it is in weight loss products. There are many candlenut supplements out there promoting this use. Because of its toxicity, naturally, many health professionals, caution against excessive use, and also because there is no scietific proof that the kukui nut aids weight loss.
  • In ancient Hawaii, kukui nuts were lit and used as torches.
  • They are also used in tattoo inks in some parts of the world, like Sabah, East Malaysia.
candlenut photography
they are slightly softer than your usual nut

How to Choose and Store Candlenuts

Because of their high fat content, like all nuts and seeds, they can turn rancid. In my experience though, buah keras have a very, very long shelf life, if stored properly.

Just keep them in an airtight container, and store them in a dark, cool place, like your spice cupboard.

And now, let’s go take a look at how to use and substitute candlenuts.

♥ If you found this article useful, don’t forget to leave me a comment and that all important, 5-star rating! Thank you! â™¥

And feel free to tag me on Instagram @azlinbloor with your recipes. If using one of mine, hashtag it #linsfood.

Lin xx

candlenuts photo

What are Candlenuts?

Azlin Bloor
Candlenuts, also called buah keras, kemiri and kukui nuts, are essential in the South East Asian Kitchen. Find out how to use the here.
5 from 10 votes
Prep Time 2 minutes
Total Time 2 minutes
Course Ingredients
Cuisine Hawaiian, Indonesian, Singaporean and Malaysian
Servings 1 Tbsp
Calories 23 kcal

Equipment

  • chopper
  • OR pestle and mortar

Ingredients
  

Candlenut Substitute
  • 3 macadamia nuts OR
  • 2 cashew nuts

Instructions
 

  • If using as part of a paste ingredients, like the recipes above, just add them to the chopper or pestle and mortar and chop with everything else. You can add them whole, as they will chop up easily.
  • If using on their own, toast dry in a frying pan on medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Then grind to powdered form before adding to your recipe, like sprinkling over salads and poke.

Nutrition

Serving: 30gCalories: 23kcalCarbohydrates: 0.6gProtein: 4.3gFat: 0.3gCholesterol: 13.5mgSodium: 65mgPotassium: 98.5mg
Keyword ingredients
Tried this recipe?Mention @azlinbloor or tag #linsfood!
Made it? Upload your Photos!Mention @azlinbloor or tag #linsfood!

Share this with Someone!

2 thoughts on “What are Candlenuts? (aka Kukui Nuts)”

  1. More detail would be good regarding process from picking the nuts off the ground in their green or black outer covering to getting the kernal out of the shell.

    Do you remove the green/black outer covering before roasting the kernal in it’s hard shell or do you roast them straight from picking in their fallen state?
    How long would you have to roast them in a domestice oven?
    Does roasting soften the shell enough for it to be peeled off or do you still have to crack them open like the macadamia?

    1. Hi Rae, in all my 40+ years of using candlenuts, I have never purchased them unshelled. In fact, it would be impossible for me to find them still in their shell. This is because they are retailed only after being processed.
      If you are actually buying them in their shell, perhaps ask your seller these questions.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating