Candle nut

Candle nut or Aleurites moluccanus is a flowering tree in the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, also known as kemiri, varnish tree, kukui nut tree, and candlenut tree. It is native to the tropical regions of the Malay Archipelago, where it is commonly used in local cuisines and traditional medicine.

Description

The Candle nut tree is a large evergreen tree, growing up to 20–30 m (66–98 ft) tall. The leaves are pale green, simple and ovate, or trilobed. The flowers are white to creamy in color, arranged in a terminal panicle.

Uses

The Candle nut is best known for its nuts which are often used in cooking. The nuts are light, easily cracked, and contain a rich, oily kernel. In Indonesian cuisine, they are ground to make a thick sauce for meat and vegetable dishes. The oil extracted from the nuts is used in the production of varnish and paint, and as a lamp oil.

In traditional medicine, the leaves, bark, and roots of the Candle nut tree are used to treat a variety of ailments, including stomach ache, headache, and skin diseases.

Cultivation

Candle nut trees are grown in tropical climates. They prefer well-drained soil and a location with full sun or partial shade. The trees are propagated from seeds, which are sown in a nursery and transplanted when they are about a year old.

Conservation

The Candle nut tree is not currently considered to be at risk of extinction. However, like all species, it is affected by habitat loss due to deforestation and the expansion of human settlements.

See also

• List of culinary nuts
• List of Indonesian ingredients