It’s All Macadamic

During my tenure as a television quiz-show writer (penning questions for “The Weakest Link” and the Maury Povich-hosted version of “Twenty One”), I stumbled across an unexpectedly rich source of trivia: the macadamia nut.

Named in honor of Dr. John MacAdam (die-hard trivia nuts should not confuse him with the John MacAdam who gave the world macadam pavement), it has the highest fat content of any nut (more than 70%) and was cultivated originally in Queensland, Australia, where it’s still known as the Queensland nut.

In the late 1800s, the macadamia tree was introduced to the Sandwich Islands, which would later become Hawaii. (If there were a bonus round, you could score extra points for knowing that Hawaii’s is the only state flag to depict the flag of another nation--Britain’s Union Jack.) Hawaii is now the leading U.S. grower of macadamias, and through the marketing efforts of Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Corp., the 50th state and the nuts are as linked as Vermont and maple syrup.

Having fed so exhaustively at the trough of trivial mac-nut knowledge, I was excited to sample them when my bride and I traveled to the Hawaiian Islands for our honeymoon. There macadamia nuts managed to appear on every restaurant menu. My favorite intake method became macadamia nut pancakes with coconut syrup, served for breakfast at the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua where we stayed. (Macadamia nut pie was a close second.)

Months after we returned from our honeymoon, in the midst of trying to order macadamia nuts online, I stumbled across a morsel of macadamia information that I’d somehow missed--they’re actually grown right here in Southern California.

Apparently I’m not the only one who has overlooked the local crop. According to a 1996 report by botanist Lawrence T. McHargue: “Most of the population of the region appears to be unaware that there is any commercial macadamia production in Southern California. Hawaiian- and Central American-produced nuts dominate the Southern California market despite the fact that substantial macadamia production is possible there.”

According to the California Macadamia Society, the nut was introduced to California before it made its way to Hawaii. The society notes that there currently are about 2,500 acres of macadamia orchards from the Mexican border to San Luis Obispo; harvest usually runs from Oct. 1 through mid-May.

From now on, when I sit down to a piping hot breakfast of mac-nut flapjacks, it’s nothing but California-grown for me. And until I land another game-show gig and can write at least one question to redeem my oversight (perhaps: “Which state is home to the second-largest macadamia nut crop in the U.S.?”), that’s going to be my final answer.

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Marston’s Macadamia Nut Pancakes

Adapted from a recipe by Jim McCardy, executive chef-owner of Marston’s Restaurant in Pasadena

Makes 10 5-inch pancakes

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons brown sugar

Pinch of salt

1 cup buttermilk

3/4 cup milk

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups chopped macadamia nuts, roasted and unsalted

Butter

Maple or coconut syrup

Mix together the dry ingredients. Whisk together the buttermilk, milk, vanilla and eggs. Stir into dry ingredients. Let stand 20 minutes. Heat a griddle to medium. Coat with butter and pour batter to form 5-inch pancakes. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon macadamia nuts on top of each pancake, reserving the rest for garnish. Cook for 2 minutes and flip over; cook about 1 more minute. Garnish with remaining macadamias and serve with butter and warm maple or coconut syrup.

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Adam Tschorn last wrote for the magazine about chicken wings.