Candle nut, Country walnut

Where does Candle nut grow?

Found in: Africa, American Samoa, Asia, Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, Central Africa, China, Congo DR, Cook Islands, Cuba, Dominican Republic, East Africa, East Timor, Eswatini, Fiji, French Polynesia, FSM, Grenada, Guam, Haiti, Hawaii, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Kosrae, Laos, Malawi, Malaysia, Marquesas, Mexico, Micronesia, Mozambique, Myanmar, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Pacific, Pakistan, Palau, Papua New Guinea, PNG, Philippines, Pohnpei, Polynesia, Rotuma, Samoa, SE Asia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Southern Africa, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Tahiti, Taiwan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Uganda, United States, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Wallis & Futuna, West Africa, West Africa, West Timor, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Notes: The black soot from the burnt seeds is used as a black paint for faces. There are 2-5 Aleurites species.

Status: A reasonably important nut in several areas of Papua New Guinea.It is a cultivated food plant.

Growing Candle nut, Country walnut

Cultivation: The trees grow wild but are transplanted. Often candle nut trees are just self sown, growing in the bush where the seeds fell. These small trees can be transplanted to a more suitable place if needed. Seeds are very hard shelled. To get seeds to start growing more quickly, the seed coat needs to be cracked. To do this a single layer of seeds are put on the ground covered with dry grass then burnt. Immediately after burning while the seeds are still hot they are thrown into cold water, and then planted. This cracks the shells allowing more rapid germination. Without this it may take many months for this hard shell to break down and germination to commence. Trees can also be grown from cuttings.

Edible Uses: The nuts are normally roasted. The hard, oily nut is used for thickening in Asian dishes. They are used in a sauce for the greens eaten with rice. CAUTION The nuts contain a moderately poisonous substance so should be cooked before eating. The raw kernels of candle nut are poisonous. They are a strong purgative. Before eating they must be well cooked. Mostly the nuts are roasted in the fire until the shell is blackened and half burnt, then the kernels are taken out by cracking the shells. The nuts should probably only be eaten in moderate amounts. Because the kernels are high in oil, they can be burnt as candles. An edible oil can be extracted from the nuts.

Production: The tree grows quickly. They can grow 0.5-1.5 m in a year. Yields of 30-45 kg of nuts can be produced on a tree in one year. Yields of 80 kg per tree are possible under good cultivation. Trees can start producing after one year.

Nutrition Info

Candle nut, Country walnut Photos

References

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