The Spirit World

When visiting Hawaii common items to bring back for friends and family are boxes of macadamia nuts. Covered in chocolate, salted and roasted, mixed into toffee or in any of the other creative ways they are used macadamias speak of the islands.

According to the California Rare Fruit Growers (CRFG), however, it wasn’t always so. The trees are native to some sections of Australia and were introduced to Hawaii in 1881 as part of a reforestation project. It wasn’t until the late 40s that they became an important agricultural crop in Hawaii. Macadamias are also grown in California, South Africa, Central America, Australia and other islands in the tropics.

I “discovered” another way macadamias are used about 10 years ago on a trip to Kauai. This was about four years after Hurricane Iniki, a category 5 hurricane, had hit the island head on and the island was still in recovery mode. I was staying at the south end - the desert end, or technically the “semi-arid tropical climate” end - of the island in Poipu. Several of the resorts in the area were boarded, some in process of being refurbished, others just abandoned. One, however, had been completely restored and, in fact, you would have been hard pressed to guess that it had ever been affected by any sort of storm.

The Hyatt Regency had been completely restored. We visited one evening and spent time strolling through the amazing gardens on the property. The blending of plants and water flowed all the way out to the beach and the ocean beyond. The views were restful and breathtaking at the same time.

After our stroll we stopped by the outdoor lounge on a deck overlooking the gardens. I ordered a drink, I don’t remember the name, that was basically a milkshake improved by the addition of liquor. It included some rum but what made the drink wonderfully rich and decadent was the inclusion of Macadamia Nut Liqueur! Similar to the more commonly available Frangelico, the hazelnut liqueur from Italy, this liqueur is nutty, sweet and rich.

It can be sipped on its own in place of dessert; is wonderful taken alongside a cup of coffee; and lends itself for use in many dessert and other food creations. Basically any recipe you find that includes Frangelico can be used with this nutty liqueur.

On our way out of Hawaii I purchased a bottle of Kahana Royale Macadamia Nut Liqueur, which I realized later is actually made in California! It doesn’t matter though because every time I smell it or sip it that warm night on a terrace in Poipu comes back to mind. And I’ll take that bottle of liquid gold over a box of chocolate covered nuts any day of the week!

A couple of notes about Iniki and Kauai: Iniki hit Kauai on September 11, 1992, a date that has not been kind to us. Kauai is a very interesting island. The north end, above the mountain Kawaikini, is a rain forest. As the clouds pass Kawaikini they drop the last of their rain making the south end dry by comparison. The north end of the island gets rain every day to the tune of about 400 inches a year, the south end gets between 16 and 30 inches. Quite a difference when you realize that the island is less then 50 miles from top to bottom.