12th April 2013
Autumn 2009 - Cracking Choice
Macadamia nuts have a reputation of being known as “posh” snacks, but their potential goes further than this to provide caterers with an opportunity to expand menu options.
The macadamia nut in its raw state looks like a large chocolate Malteser, yet once the wraps are off it is an exceptional product. With its creamy subtle nutty flavour, it can enhance sweet and savoury recipes, and while its fat content may be high, it’s primarily the ‘better for you’ fat that health gurus love.
Monounsaturated at 59g per 100g and polyunsaturated at 1.5g per 100g give these nuts their health halo.
Growers in Australia and South Africa, the main sources, are currently drumming into the UK the knowledge about their wider use globally. The South African Macadamia Growers’ Association (SAMAC) in particular is targeting UK’s chefs.
SAMAC says its significant investment has helped see sales of macadamia nuts in the UK increase by more than 250% in the last five years as awareness of the nut has grown. Last year alone sales rose by 45%. More recently has been its debut at this year’s Skills for Chefs event in Sheffield where it highlighted the versatility of these nuts from cakes, bread, ice cream and confectionery, to oils, salads and pasta.
When you consider that a macadamia tree takes four years to grow in South Africa but 12-15 years before producing a good return, there’s a lot of investment in time and money going into the crop. The season runs from February to mid August and as long as the conditions are cool and dry the yield will be good.
There are several farmers and suppliers in South Africa. Maclands claims to be the biggest single unit there with its farm covering 598 hectares. Like the majority of farms, trees are watered via drippers and bees are brought in to pollinate the trees, with beehives strategically placed for maximum impact. Any honey produced is heavily macadamia flavoured.
Maclands estate manager Marius Mostert says the “crack percentage” is what you get out of the nut, and you can only tell a good nut once it has been cracked.
After husk removal the nuts go through a drying process before they are ready to be cracked, sorted and dried again. Grades range from nought, which are whole nuts used in premium snack products, to seven, which are chips and pieces used in confectionery, baking and ice cream.
Sally Williams, a business in Benmore, South Africa, uses locally grown macadamias for its premium nougat, which it supplies to top end outlets such as Harvey Nichols and Harrods in the UK.
Sally Williams herself is a renowned South African chef that ran her own cookery school before starting the firm, which is now run by her son in law Mark Sack.
As an ingredient, the nuts work perfectly with the nougat the company produces. It is made combining glucose, local honey and sugar to produce syrup that is brought to a high temperature before egg white is whisked into it and macadamia nuts added – grade four [halves] which are small enough to provide the crunch needed.
Once ready it is poured into potato paper lined trays and then coated in a mixture of cornstarch and icing sugar to stop it sticking.
Macadamias respond well to unusual flavoured coatings and in the White River region, Ambassador Foods specialises in flavours such as oriental spice, Mexican chilli, habanero and Indian curry. It supplies high end stores such as Woolworths which in South Africa still thrives and is on a par with Marks & Spencer in the UK. Its work on new flavours, tastes and coatings is on going. Trials are currently being carried out on a traditional smoking process for its nut assortment as it says there are lots of flavours in Europe but not many smoked.
Golden Macadamias, also in the White River region, has flavours such as aromatic, peri peri and honey roast in the pipeline and Royal Macadamia in the Limpopo Province has started flavouring its products. But adding value also means by products such as butter and extra virgin macadamia nut oil. The latter is clearly seen as a growth area because its high smoke point makes it ideal for stir frying and sautéing, plus its use in salads. It too has a healthy 80% monounsaturated fat content.
In the UK, three artisan bakers in Ludlow were recently set a challenge to create bread recipes using macadamia nuts that could be used in both retail and foodservice.
Peter Cook of SC Price & Sons, whose bakery was one of Rick Stein’s local heroes, Paul Merry of the Panary, a bakery consultancy and school, and Ian Martin, bakery consultant and production manager at Martin’s Bakers produced four recipes: rye wheat, macadamia and sultana bread; fruited cornbread with macadamia; spelt, honey and macadamia bread; and olive, pumpkin and macadamia bread.
Cook says: “Not only did consumers love the look, taste and texture of the bread, but they were impressed with the health benefits of the nuts.”
Monounsaturated at 59g per 100g and polyunsaturated at 1.5g per 100g give these nuts their health halo.
Growers in Australia and South Africa, the main sources, are currently drumming into the UK the knowledge about their wider use globally. The South African Macadamia Growers’ Association (SAMAC) in particular is targeting UK’s chefs.
SAMAC says its significant investment has helped see sales of macadamia nuts in the UK increase by more than 250% in the last five years as awareness of the nut has grown. Last year alone sales rose by 45%. More recently has been its debut at this year’s Skills for Chefs event in Sheffield where it highlighted the versatility of these nuts from cakes, bread, ice cream and confectionery, to oils, salads and pasta.
When you consider that a macadamia tree takes four years to grow in South Africa but 12-15 years before producing a good return, there’s a lot of investment in time and money going into the crop. The season runs from February to mid August and as long as the conditions are cool and dry the yield will be good.
There are several farmers and suppliers in South Africa. Maclands claims to be the biggest single unit there with its farm covering 598 hectares. Like the majority of farms, trees are watered via drippers and bees are brought in to pollinate the trees, with beehives strategically placed for maximum impact. Any honey produced is heavily macadamia flavoured.
Maclands estate manager Marius Mostert says the “crack percentage” is what you get out of the nut, and you can only tell a good nut once it has been cracked.
After husk removal the nuts go through a drying process before they are ready to be cracked, sorted and dried again. Grades range from nought, which are whole nuts used in premium snack products, to seven, which are chips and pieces used in confectionery, baking and ice cream.
Sally Williams, a business in Benmore, South Africa, uses locally grown macadamias for its premium nougat, which it supplies to top end outlets such as Harvey Nichols and Harrods in the UK.
Sally Williams herself is a renowned South African chef that ran her own cookery school before starting the firm, which is now run by her son in law Mark Sack.
As an ingredient, the nuts work perfectly with the nougat the company produces. It is made combining glucose, local honey and sugar to produce syrup that is brought to a high temperature before egg white is whisked into it and macadamia nuts added – grade four [halves] which are small enough to provide the crunch needed.
Once ready it is poured into potato paper lined trays and then coated in a mixture of cornstarch and icing sugar to stop it sticking.
Macadamias respond well to unusual flavoured coatings and in the White River region, Ambassador Foods specialises in flavours such as oriental spice, Mexican chilli, habanero and Indian curry. It supplies high end stores such as Woolworths which in South Africa still thrives and is on a par with Marks & Spencer in the UK. Its work on new flavours, tastes and coatings is on going. Trials are currently being carried out on a traditional smoking process for its nut assortment as it says there are lots of flavours in Europe but not many smoked.
Golden Macadamias, also in the White River region, has flavours such as aromatic, peri peri and honey roast in the pipeline and Royal Macadamia in the Limpopo Province has started flavouring its products. But adding value also means by products such as butter and extra virgin macadamia nut oil. The latter is clearly seen as a growth area because its high smoke point makes it ideal for stir frying and sautéing, plus its use in salads. It too has a healthy 80% monounsaturated fat content.
In the UK, three artisan bakers in Ludlow were recently set a challenge to create bread recipes using macadamia nuts that could be used in both retail and foodservice.
Peter Cook of SC Price & Sons, whose bakery was one of Rick Stein’s local heroes, Paul Merry of the Panary, a bakery consultancy and school, and Ian Martin, bakery consultant and production manager at Martin’s Bakers produced four recipes: rye wheat, macadamia and sultana bread; fruited cornbread with macadamia; spelt, honey and macadamia bread; and olive, pumpkin and macadamia bread.
Cook says: “Not only did consumers love the look, taste and texture of the bread, but they were impressed with the health benefits of the nuts.”