Candlenuts, Indian walnut, Tahitian walnut, jangli akrot (Hindi), nattu-akrotu-kottai (Tamil), dakkuna (Sinhalese), phothisat (Thai), buah keras (Malay), kemiri (Indonesian)
(Aleurites moluccana family Euphorbiceae)
Candlenuts are the fruit of the Candlenut, Candle-berry, or Varnish tree, which are now cultivated from India to the Philippines and in the Pacific Islands. Each nut contains either one or two waxy white kernels, and, after suitable preparation, are widely consumed as a flavouring ingredient in Southeast, especially in Java. The usual practice is to roast the nuts, crack them open, and sauté the kernels. These are then crushed with such other ingredients as shallots, garlic, and chili peppers to produce a mixture used in savory dishes. The nuts contain a toxin which makes them unsuitable to eat raw; but, during cooking, the toxin disappears. The nut is very oily and used in times past to make candles, and thus the name. The strength and weight of the shells, as well as the difficulty in removing the kernels, make them economically unsuitable to be exported.
