Macadamia Nuts (Chabi wala akhroot)

The shell needs roughly 300 pounds of pressure to crack, more than any nutcracker in a home drawer, so the nuts are sold with a slit already cut in the shell. Slot the key in, twist, and the shell parts to reveal a round, cream coloured kernel. That extreme shell is also why macadamia travels and keeps so well: the kernel inside is sealed away from air until the moment you open it. The taste repays the ritual, rich and buttery, softer than a walnut, closer to a fresh coconut's creaminess than to any akhrot.

Macadamia is the richest nut on our shelf, around 200 calories in a small handful of 28 grams, most of it monounsaturated fat. A few nuts are a serving; this is a treat nut, not a bowl nut, and at this price your wallet enforces the same rule. In shell, the nuts keep for months in a cool dry place. Once cracked, eat within days and keep the kernels airtight. The full story, tree to key, is in our macadamia guide.

Why is it called chabi wala akhrot? Because of the key, and because it arrived in Pakistan as an exotic hard shelled nut, so the market filed it under akhrot. Botanically it is no relation to the walnut.

Is the key included? Yes, the opening key comes with the pack. Keep it in the kitchen drawer; a lost key makes for a frustrating evening.

Is it worth the price? As an everyday handful, no nut at this level is. As a taste most people here have never had, and for guests who think they know dry fruits, a 250g pack earns its money.

WD Foods is the online store of Wahid Nimco, working from Quetta since 1990. We deliver across Pakistan in 3 to 5 business days. Macadamia sits with the rest of the winter shelf in our dry fruits collection, and the season's full rates are in the dry fruits price list.