About Macadamia Nuts
The macadamia nut tree originated in Queensland, Australia and was brought to Hawaii in 1882. Today, virtually all of the world's macadamias are grown on the Big Island. It takes about 7 years for a macadamia to bear fruit, making the nut an in-demand delicacy. It takes 300 pounds of pressure per square inch to crack the shell of the macadamia, making it one of the hardest of all nuts to crack open. Because of that, macadamia nuts are mostly sold shelled.