Molucca Nuts!
What Are MoluccaNuts?
The Eco-Friendly Parrot Snack!
Project Bird Watch is excited to re-introduce MoluccaNuts for sale, in collaboration with Yayasan Wallacea (Wallacean Foundation, our colleagues in Indonesia).
These nuts from the Moluccas were largely forgotten when nutmeg and cloves became extremely valuable in the so-called "Spice Islands." Now the MoluccaNut has come back into prominence. It is our hope that the collection and sale of MoluccaNuts will create sustainable income to replace the non-sustainable trapping of birds. In Indonesia, that is called "ganti rugi," which essentially means a win-win situation.
MoluccaNuts come from the kenari (Canarium) tree; a huge tree providing nest-sites for cockatoos, including the salmon-crested or Seram cockatoo, as well as for certain parrots, and may even prevent landslides. They are a favorite food of the Seram cockatoo, the Palm cockatoo and the Great-billed parrot. However, other birds cannot open their extremely hard shell.
The term MoluccaNuts includes both ‘kenari’ or ‘nanari’ nuts, the former being larger. It is not known why there are multiple sizes, since the same individual tree may bear two or three different sizes of nut. Kenari nuts may originally have derived from the Moluccas and from Sulawesi. There are many species of kenari throughout Southeast Asia , the Solomon Islands and the South Pacific. Other names include pili nuts, nangai, Java almond, and ngali nuts.
On Seram island, there are at least 50-90 trees for each hectare of forest. But these numbers have markedly declined due to illegal and legal logging--leading to deforestation. In addition to Seram, this deforestation has occurred on neighboring islands such as Sarapua, Haruku, Nusa Laut, Ambon and perhaps on Halmahera in northern Maluku. It probably has played a major role in the extinction of salmon-crested cockatoos on the first two of these islands since these huge trees provide many nest holes.
MoluccaNuts are edible by people as well as birds, and are considered valuable by the people of the Moluccas. They are eaten whole or are baked into cookies, cakes, pudding, and incredible nut candies (to which members of Project Bird Watch can personally attest!)
The people of Maluku used to collect the NIS (nut in shell) on the forest floor in the dry season, and crack them in the rainy season. The nuts were then mixed with dry fish, or smoked meat and vegetables, for consumption. It is said that they were a survival food since ancient time. The discarded shell traditionally was used as fuel for cooking but they can also be used for production of charcoal and artwork. Kenari nuts or their shells are also used for construction, building of canoes (including oleoresin for caulking), manufacture of wooden artifacts and jewelry, and aromatic oils for spas and aromatherapy.
The MoluccaNut has considerable nutritional value. They are rich in:
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energy
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protein (similar to peanuts and pine-nuts ; higher than Brazil or Macadamia nuts)
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calcium ( more than Macadamia and Brazil nuts and about half as much as almonds)
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magnesium and potassium
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Vitamins E and C (anti-oxidants)
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and, above all, fatty acids
MoluccaNuts - An ecologically friendly product from renewable resources. For more information about MoluccaNuts, please contact Barb Bailey.
Order Molucca Nuts
Roasted MoluccaNuts 1 lb. package: $15.00
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