2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14
Luxury has many facets. For example, someone buys the most expensive cars, someone buys the best jewelry, some indulge themselves in luxurious outfits, and others - exclusive trips. And there are gourmets whose goal in life is to try all the most unusual and expensive foods in the world. Food lovers should definitely try macadamia, the most expensive nut in the world.
Botanical description
Macadamia is an Australian nut or kindal. The plant was first described by the German scientist Ferdinand Müller, who devoted most of his life to the study of Australia. A botanist found a previously unknown plant on the smallest continent, which the natives called mullimbimbi or kindal-kindal. F. Muller described an amazing nut and named it "macadamia" in honor of his friend and colleague, chemist J. Macadam. The name soon became established everywhere.
This dicotyledonous plant belongs to the Proteaceae family, the genus includes 5 species, only 2 of them are cultivated. Prefers slightly acid soils, well drained and rich in organic matter. The tree grows up to 15 meters high. The leaves of the plant are very large, leatheryto the touch. It blooms with small white, cream or pink flowers, which are collected on a long drooping inflorescence resembling a corncob. During flowering, the trees emit a very delicate, slightly sweet scent.
The most expensive nut begins to bear fruit at the age of 8-10, and stops when it reaches 100 years of age. The fruits of the plant are small nuts only 1.5-2 centimeters in diameter, have an almost perfect spherical shape. Ripe from March to September.
Natural pollinators of macadamia are bees, which also make wonderful honey from flower nectar - fragrant and he althy.
Chemical composition
Let's continue talking about the most expensive nuts. Macadamia has a unique chemical composition:
- Fats - polyunsaturated, monounsaturated and saturated, up to 75 grams per 100 grams of product. At the same time, the average calorie content of nuts is 200 kcal.
- Carbohydrates - 14 grams per 100 grams of product.
- Proteins - 7.9 g per 100 g of product, including 12 essential amino acids (arginine, valine, leucine, lysine, tryptophan and others) and 8 non-essential ones (alanine, glycine, aspartic acid, serine, etc.).
- Vitamins: tocopherol, group B, folates, niacin, ascorbic acid and some others.
- Macro and micronutrients: zinc, iron, selenium, sodium, magnesium, copper, phosphorus, etc.
The presence of an essential oil rich in vitamins B and PP significantly increases the value of macadamia.
Benefits and harms
These are the most expensive nuts ever seenin the article, very helpful:
- Improve the functioning of the cardiovascular system.
- Clean vessels from cholesterol plaques.
- Contribute to the normalization of weight.
- Improve the condition of skin, nails and hair.
- They are a powerful oncoprotector.
- Normalize blood sugar.
- The oil promotes rapid skin regeneration, heals wounds.
However, the most expensive nut should not be eaten by those who are allergic to hazelnuts and peanuts.
Where it grows, how it is mined
Macadamia is native to Australia. Aborigines considered this nut sacred. Until the beginning of the 20th century, this plant was not found anywhere else on the planet. When the Europeans began to explore the mainland, this unusual fruit was almost the only currency in trade with the local population.
Today, this plant is successfully cultivated in tropical latitudes - in Brazil, South Africa, California, Hawaii. Interestingly, Hawaiian plantations already cover an area of about 100 square meters.
The tree is undemanding, growing in lowlands and highlands up to 750 meters above sea level. It tolerates temperature extremes well, does not die even at extreme temperatures for the tropics + 3 … + 5 degrees Celsius. However, it does not tolerate strong winds blowing from the ocean.
These nuts used to be harvested by hand. But given the height of the tree and the fact that the fruits are very strong on the branches, one worker could pick up 120-150 kilograms of fruit per day. In the middle of the 20th century, a car was invented,the productivity of which was up to 3 tons of crop per day! Thanks to this, macadamia production has expanded significantly.
Where used
The most expensive nut in the world (macadamia) is widely used in cooking. The fruits taste like hazelnuts and hazelnuts, but have a special sweetish aftertaste. Large whole nuts are roasted, sprinkled with s alt or poured with icing, chocolate. Such a delicacy is very tasty in itself, but connoisseurs say that macadamia should be consumed with sherry, a Spanish fortified wine made from white grapes, which reveals and emphasizes the taste of a nut, or with Arabic coffee.
Small or crushed nucleoli are added to salads, seafood dishes. They are also pressed into oil, which is a very valuable dietary product.
Macadamia is used in medicine. These nuts are used to make medicines for osteoporosis and arthritis, hypovitaminosis, tonsillitis, as well as drugs to slow down the growth of tumors, cleanse the body of toxins, and remove "bad" cholesterol. Macadamia oil is used to treat burns.
Nutritionists advise using this most expensive nut when losing weight, as it normalizes fat metabolism and metabolism in the body. To lose up to 7-10 kilograms per month, it is enough to eat 10-12 nucleoli per day instead of one meal.
The most expensive nut will bring back youth and beauty
The uniqueness of the nut lies in the fact that it contains monounsaturated palmitoleic acid, whichpresent in human skin, but virtually non-existent in other plants. Another feature: macadamia vegetable fat is very similar in composition and properties to mink fat. Possesses powerful antioxidant properties.
For these characteristics, the most expensive nut is also highly valued by cosmetologists. Macadamia oil is used in the production of high-end skin rejuvenation products.
The kernels crushed into gruel are advised to be used in home cosmetology for the preparation of face masks. Nut oil can be rubbed into the scalp for hair growth and he alth.
Value of a nut
How much is the most expensive nut in the world? Even in his homeland, Australia, where 80% of macadamia is produced, a kilogram of unpeeled fruit costs 30-35 dollars. The wholesale price of a nut in Europe reaches $150 per kilogram, depending on the grade of the product.
Why are macadamia fruits so expensive? Firstly, the unique composition and amazing properties of this nut are highly valued. Secondly, because of the difficulties in harvesting. Thirdly, because of the limited production: if 50 million tons of peanuts are harvested a year, then macadamia - only 100 thousand tons, that is, 500 times less!
The most expensive nuts in the world: top 10
If you make a list of the most expensive nuts in the world, then for Russians it will look like this:
- 10 place - walnut. Price - $3/kg.
- 9th place - hazelnuts. This he althy treat costs an average of 5dollars per kilogram.
- 8 place - Brazil nut. Loved by many for its usefulness and original taste. Price - $6/kg.
- 7th place - chestnut. This nut is widely used in medicine in the treatment of various diseases of the veins and costs $7 per kg.
- 6th place - almonds, 8-8.5 dollars per kg of product. Especially highly valued in cooking and perfumery are bitter almonds, which have a rich aroma.
- 5th place - cedar. This is a delicacy nut that is found in cedar cones - the fruits of the Siberian pine. A kilo of these nuts costs $10.
- 4 place - cashews. The price per kilogram is within $12.
Now let's describe the top three. In third place in terms of cost are pistachios, the cost of which ranges from $ 15 per kilogram of goods. Persia and Ancient Greece were the first to cultivate them many millennia ago. Today, pistachios are a favorite delicacy of millions of people, and in China, the fruits are called "happy nuts". In addition to the wonderful taste, they have a whole list of useful properties.
Second place is occupied by a pecan - a nut originally from North America. It is a universal product: it is used in the preparation of any dishes, including salads, desserts, pastries. Liqueurs infused with the kernels of this nut are very tasty. You will have to pay up to $ 22 per kilogram. After macadamia, these are the most expensive nuts in Russia.
The gold medal goes to macadamia, of course, which the article details.
What nuts grow in Russia
In Russia they harvest peanuts, hazelnuts, pine nuts, hazelnuts, walnuts. Some of them were mentioned above, now let's talk a little about walnut.
Do you know that the familiar nut that grows in the southern regions of Russia and resembles the human brain in shape is the most useful in the world? Our ancestors knew about it and successfully used it in the treatment of various diseases - tonsillitis, intestinal disorders, stomatitis, dermatitis. It is believed that if you eat a few walnuts every day, the body will get stronger, filled with energy and strength, memory will improve, the mind will brighten, diseases will recede.
What is the most expensive nut, you know, and what is the cheapest? This is a peanut or peanut (an average of $ 1.5 per kilogram of product). That said, its value to both the food and chemical industries cannot be denied.
Now you know what the most expensive nuts are: macadamia, pecans and pistachios. The most useful and at the same time inexpensive is a walnut. Peanuts are the cheapest.
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