Macadamia Oil 
Macadamia oil is the oil extracted from the nut meat of macadamia tree. There are only two species of Macadamia trees that produce edible nuts - Macadamia integrifolia and Macadamia tetraphylla. Macadamia trees are originally from Australian rain forests, and were first commercially grown in Hawaii, where they continue to flourish. Today, macadamia trees are cultivated in Africa; Mexico and Hawaii and Australia. One of the locations where it was originally found was at Mount Bauple near Maryborough in southeast Queensland, Australia. Locals in this area still refer the nuts as "Bauple nuts", hence macadamia nut is also known as bauple nut.Macadamia nuts are enclosed in the green husk of the macadamia fruit. The husk splits open as the nut ripens. Ripe macadamia nuts will fall to the ground. Ripe macadamia nuts are contained in a hard shell. Once harvested and husked, the nuts are placed in the sun to dry for several weeks. The nuts are then dried in an oven at 43C/110F) for 12 hours to dry them down from 10-15% moisture to 3% moisture. Once dried, the nuts can be shelled and eaten or roasted.
Macadamias are highly nutritious nuts. They have the highest amount of beneficial monounsaturated fats of any known nuts. They also contain 9% protein, 9% carbohydrate, 2% dietary fiber, as well as calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, selenium, iron, thiamine, riboflavin and niacin. Macadamias can be eaten raw but are frequently roasted in oil and salted. In addition to being eaten alone, they are popular ingredients in numerous dishes. One popular food is chocolate-covered macadamia nut. Because of its nutritional qualities, unusual flavour and the few places where macadamia trees grow well, macadamia nuts are one of the more exotic and expensive nuts.
Macadamia nuts are composed of 60 percent oil and are valuable as delicacies. The oil has a light amber color and is liquid at room temperature. It has soft buttery/nutty flavour. It contains up to 80 percent of monounsaturated fatty acids - the highest amongst any other oils - makes it a very heart-healthy oil. At 80 percent monounsaturated fatty acids, macadamia oil tops olive oil's 74 percent and canola oil's 58 percent. An equal ration of Omega-6 and Omega-3 fatty acids also tops the higher Omega-6 content of olive and canola oils. Its high smoke point (210C/425F) makes it a terrific cooking oil, especially for frying. When used in recipes, macadamia oil retains its nutty flavour that chefs use it to replace olive oil in baking muffins, sauteing fish or mixing salad dressings. It has a long shelf life and can be stored for up to 2 years.
Macadamia oil is also known to be beneifical for improving skin condition. One of its ingredients, palmitoleic acid, makes it especially good for aging skin, healing woulds and sunburn. It can help fight the dryness as a natural moisturiser and is absorbed by the skin quickly. Its content of tocopherols and tocotrienols, which are derivatives of Vitamin E, selenium, and prytosterols such as sitosterol makes it act as antioxidants to protect the body from the damaging effects of free radicals, improves the appearance of scars, tones the skin and prevent stretch marks.
