Macadamias are a very popular nut, especially among people who love good food. They can be twice as expensive as other nuts, but why? Have you ever thought about that? Macadamias have a creamy texture and flavor, making them a great ingredient or topping for many sweet and savory dishes. They’re also becoming popular with vegans as an alternative to dairy products. People are also starting to realize that macadamias have healthy fats that are good for you. This is causing them to become even more popular.
They Are Expensive Because Of Their Supply
The reason why macadamia nuts are on the pricier side has to do with the fact that they’re not as commonly supplied as other nuts. They come from trees, which naturally take longer to grow and be harvested than other plants. Because they’re grown worldwide in different climates, it takes three to seven years for a macadamia tree to be ready for harvest. Consequently, farmers must be very patient with these trees and give them extra care and attention before they can see any return.
Time-Consuming Process
Shelling macadamia nuts is a time-consuming process, which is one of the main reasons they’re so expensive. Macadamia nuts are notoriously difficult to crack, so most farmers rely on industrial-scale machines to get the job done. These machines are expensive to maintain, and because farmers are constantly guessing how many nuts they’ll need to shell, there’s often a lot of waste. So, if you’re ever lucky enough to find whole, shelled macadamia nuts for sale, you can be sure they came at a price!
Macadamia nuts are so expensive because they are harvested on a small island in Australia. The nuts take about two years to grow, and the trees only grow about 20 nuts per harvest. The nuts are then shipped to other countries to be sold. Some of the most popular countries are the United States, Japan, and China, some of the biggest consumers of macadamia nuts.
Industry Is Struggling
The macadamia nut processing industry is struggling to keep up with the demand for this increasingly popular snack food. A secondary market has emerged in East Asia, where macadamia nuts are bought unprocessed and boiled in salted water before being sold.
Bottom Line
Macadamia is one of the most expensive nuts in the world and has an even higher price per kilogram than caviar. Many people wonder exactly why macadamia is so expensive. One of the reasons they are so expensive is that they are challenging to harvest since they grow on an evergreen tree, and most of the year, it is impossible to harvest them.
Most macadamia nuts that are brought to the market are harvested by hand. Macadamia is also a rare nut. Many countries don’t produce macadamia trees and therefore have to import them. To make matters worse, there are only about two dozen varieties of macadamia trees, meaning minimal production of this nut.
