Candlenut

Aleurites moluccana; kemiri. The English name comes from the oil which these nuts produce, which was once used as lamp oil. The nutshells are extremely tough, and the kernels are therefore extracted before being done up in packets for export. They can be bought in Oriental shops in the West. They are often broken when the shells are opened, so in a recipe ‘a candlenut’ may mean, in practice, fragments equal to one nut – a whole nut is about the size of a walnut kernel. Raw candlenuts are mildly toxic and should not be eaten, but they become perfectly harmless when cooked. If you cannot find any, MACADAMIA NUTS or, at a pinch, ALMONDS make satisfactory substitutes.