Candlenut

Candlenut or Buah Keras, a South East Asian native plant and multipurpose tree found its usage in food, medicine and more. It should not be eaten raw as candlenut is mildly toxic. Therefore, candlenut needs to be cooked for its toxicity to be removed. Candlenuts are often used in curries or stew when it comes to Malaysian, Indonesian or even Singaporean cuisines. The high content of oil in candlenuts contributes to the gravy being thicker in curries and stews. Candlenuts are added into the chilli pastes of curries to make the dish thicker, creamier and slightly oilier. The presence of glutamic acid in candlenuts gives a dish the hint of nutty flavour. The mild bitterness in the candlenuts disappears upon cooking Fresh candlenut fruits (and seeds) are toxic and cause laxative effects and vomiting if ingested in quantity.