Crushed roasted candlenut(kukui) is called ‘inamona in Hawaiian. Sometimes sea salt(pa’akai) is added. ‘Inamona is used as a garnish for traditional poke.

Kukui was brought to the Hawaiian islands by some of the earliest settlers. The Hawaiian name kukui means put on a string. The nuts were strung up and burned for light like candles, thus the English name candlenut. The unshelled nuts are sometimes polished and strung on leis too. Once hulled and shelled and roasted, candlenuts can be eaten.

‘Inamona has a unique nutty taste. The flavor is strong and a small amount is usually enough to garnish a dish. ‘Inamona may be traditionally stored in hollowed out gourds called ipu.

In the mainland United States, hulled and shelled candlenut can sometimes be found at Asian markets and may be labeled with the Indonesian name, kemiri.

Recipe

Ingredients

• ½ cup candlenut(kukui), hulled and shelled

Method

• roast candlenut until lightly browned, about 5 minutes at 425°F
• let cool
• crush
• serve or store