Brazil Nuts
Brazil nuts grow inside a cannonball-sized pod that falls from one of the tallest trees in the Amazon. Each nut is one of the richest natural sources of selenium on earth.
What It Is
These are the real thing: raw, unpasteurized, organic Brazil nuts, straight from the Amazon basin where they have been harvested from wild trees for centuries. The trees are so large and the pods so heavy that harvesters wait until they fall on their own rather than knock them loose.
Each nut has a buttery, faintly earthy flavor that sits somewhere between macadamia and coconut. They are notably high in selenium, a mineral most people do not get enough of, which is one reason nutritionists and traditional food cultures alike have long paid attention to them. Two or three a day is a common benchmark.
What To Do
Eat them as they are, or roughly chop them and fold into granola, trail mix, or a bowl of oatmeal. They blend smoothly into nut milks and work well in any baked good that calls for a mild, fatty nut. Their natural oils make them good raw but less ideal for long roasting, which can dull their flavor.
Store them somewhere cool and dark, or keep them in the freezer if you buy in bulk. The high fat content means they go rancid faster than most nuts, so a cold spot extends their life considerably. Taste one before you use them: a good Brazil nut is creamy and clean.
