Brazil Nuts

A snack from the Amazon Rainforest.

This South American nut grows on a tree of the same name, some of the largest trees in the Amazon Rainforests. It is native to the Guianas, Venezuela, Brazil, eastern Colombia, eastern Peru and eastern Bolivia. Brazil nut trees produce fruit almost exclusively in pristine forests, as disturbed forests lack the large-body bees which are the only ones capable of pollinating the tree’s flowers. They are also a good source of vitamins and minerals. Brazil nuts make great snack foods and are commonly sold on their own or in nut mixes, and because of their rich taste, can often substitute for macadamia nuts or even coconut in recipes.