How to cook brazil nuts

The Brazil nut grows on an evergreen tree, mainly along the Amazon, Orinoco, and Rio Negro rivers of South America. About 6 inches in diameter and resembling a coconut, the fruit of the Brazil nut tree has 18 to 20 nuts within its hard shell. Inside, the triangular nuts are arranged like the wedges of an orange. It is the white kernel inside this shell that is eaten. This kernel is rich, creamy, and sweet and is a good source of phosphorus and thiamin and contains some calcium. This nut also has a high fat content, although most of it is unsaturated.

Only after the fruits have fallen to the ground are they harvested and chopped open to obtain the nuts. Because the trees grow wild in the heart of the Amazon jungle, the nuts can be shipped only during the rainy season, when streams and rivers are navigable. Although the nuts are obtained only in Brazil, most are exported, and native Brazilians rarely eat Brazil nuts.

The Brazil nut is also known as the para nut, butternut, cream nut, and castanea. Oil from the nut is used to make soap or as an industrial lubricant.

How to cook brazil nuts

Brazil nuts are available as raw, unshelled nuts or shelled and roasted or dry-roasted. Because of their high fat content, both shelled and unshelled nuts should be refrigerated or frozen to maintain freshness. Buy only vacuum-packed nuts to maintain their freshness.

Serving suggestions

Brazil nuts add a crunchy texture to cakes and breads. Because of their sweetness, they are also used in ice cream, cookies, and candies. Brazil nuts can be difficult to shell. Keep a nutcracker handy if planning to serve them whole and in the shell, often a tradition in many families at holidays.