If Macadamia and Coconut had A Baby?

Another of the bushfood plants from Australia, The Red Boppel Nut (aka. Monkey Nut, Rose Nut; Hicksbeachia pinnatifolia) produces fleshy red fruits with edible seeds—closely related to the Macadamia nut.

The Boppel Nut’s fat content is low (only 3%) and the flavor improves with roasting. The texture of the nut is similar to coconut flesh and the flavor is a cross between macadamia and coconut.

Here is something intriguing: one description of the effect of biting into the outer rind of the fruit (that covers the nut) describes a numbing effect of the mouth may occur that ‘is somewhat akin to a cocaine injection.’🤔

The fruits ripen only about 3 months after pollination, rather than the usual 12 months for many rainforest plants, and it is important for the best flavor to consume the nut quickly, as they oxidize readily.

A lot of the original habitat and populations of this tree have been lost, and the remaining populations are small and fragmented. Targeted strategies for managing and assisting the species are underway currently.

Cultivation of this tree is possible but difficult to establish, as they appear to rely on a fungal association in the soil.

The Red Boppel Nut takes about six years before producing their first crops of nuts, and the heaviest producing trees can bear about 70-80 kg of nuts.

The tree’s wood is valued for small-scale timber purposes and crafting decorative items. Additionally, its unique fruits and foliage make it an ornamental plant in subtropical gardens.
In traditional medicine, The Red Bopple Nut was reportedly used by Indigenous Australians to treat wounds and infections.

Known pharmacological activities of the Red Bopple Nut include antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. It seems little science has been conducted on this plant, but there are some things that can be inferred by knowing the chemistry of the plant family (in my opinion).

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