Candlenuts

Native to Malaysia, this hard, oily nut is slightly bitter. It’s used primarily as a thickening agent in Malaysian dishes. The most common substitution for this hard-to-find item is macadamia nuts. I find that peeled almonds also work well. Unlike macadamia nuts, however, raw candlenuts are slightly toxic to humans, causing digestive distress. They must be cooked before being eaten. They’re usually cooked into the spice paste fried at the beginning stages of soups and curries. Their peculiar name originates from their oil being highly flammable (it was once used as candle oil). Over the years in my cooking classes I have illustrated this point by holding a flame to one end for about twenty seconds. Once removed, the nut continues to burn with a small flame all by itself. Malay: buah keras