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
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 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):
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.
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.
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.
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What are Candlenuts?
Equipment
- chopper
- OR pestle and mortar
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.
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?
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.