Sweet, delicious and flavorful macadamia nut is one of the popular edible nuts packed with notable health-benefiting nutrients. Botanically, macadamia belongs to the family of Proteaceae, in the genus: Macadamia. Some of common names include Australia nut, Queensland nut, bush nut, etc.

Scientific name: Macadamia integrifolia.

Macadamia is native to the East Coast rainforests of North Eastern parts of Australia. Several parts of mineral rich, tropical and subtropical areas of Australia, Hawaiian Islands, Middle Americas, Brazil and South African regions are favorite regions where these sweet and crunchy nuts grow in abundance.

Macadamia tree grows to about 15 meters in height. In general, it reaches maturity and begins to produce fruit at around the age of seventh year of plantation.

There are about seven species of macadamia grown in their wild natural habitat. However, only two of which are edible and cultivated in the horticulture farms around the world. Macadamia integrifolia produces smooth-shelled nuts, whereas Macadamia tetraphylla has nuts with a rough shell.

During each summer, the tree bears elongated chains of attractive cream-white colored flower racemes, which subsequently develop into tough shelled, round to spherical shaped fruits with a conical tip. Depending upon the cultivar type its shell may possess smooth or rough outer surface. Each fruit features 0.5 to 1 inch in diameter consisting of husk enveloping around a single kernel. Inside, the edible kernel is white, has smooth buttery surface and sweet taste.