Brazil nuts are the largest of the commonly consumed nuts. Everything about these nuts is big: from the tree on which it grows, to the huge fruit in which this nut appears. The massive tree that produces this nut can reach a height of 150 feet while the fruits in which the nuts are encased resemble large coconuts with a woody shell. Peru, Bolivia, Colombia, Venezuela and the Guianas, as well as Brazil, are home to Brazil nuts. Unlike domesticated nuts, Brazil nuts grow wild.
Brazil nuts can be enjoyed raw and roasted, salted or unsalted. They are popular in chocolates, ice creams, bakery dishes, confectionery items and snack mixes. Nutritionally, Brazil nuts contain significant nutrients, including protein, fiber, selenium, magnesium, phosphorus and thiamin. They are also rich in niacin, vitamin E, vitamin B6, calcium, iron and copper.
Brazil nuts are sized by number of kernels per pound.
|Large (or Giants)||80 to 110 kernels per pound|
|Mediums||110 to 130 kernels per pound|
|Smalls||140 to 160 kernels per pound|
|Midgets||160 to 180 kernels per pound|
|Tiny||180 to 220 kernels per pound|