Kukui Craze
Kukui nut necklaces are showing up on the world's top runways and around the necks of Jessica Simpson, Nicole Richie, Sarah Jessica Parker and Lindsay Lohan. Vogue magazine has featured them-the Kukui nut- with a long and prestigious history as a fashion accessory that started long before Sarah Jessica Parker even wore them, the Kukui nut is this seasons' hottest look.
Popularized by Hawaiian culture's long use of Kukui nuts as lei’s- the nut also has deep spiritual significance to Polynesian culture. The Kukui nut tree is not an indigenous species to Hawaii, its introduction to Hawaii came with the first Polynesian settlers to the Hawaiian island chain. The Kukui nut has many more uses than just beads...
The Kukui nut is similar in flavour and texture to the macadamia nut, which has a similarly high oil content.
The nut is often used in Malaysian and Indonesian cuisine, where it is called kemiri. In Java, it is used to make a thick sauce which is eaten with vegetables and rice.
In ancient Hawaii the nuts were burned to provide lighting. They were a way of measuring time. Kukui nut trees are also called Candlenut tree because of their use as lighting. The nuts were strung in a row on a palm leaf and one end was lit. Like an hour glass the time that it took for one nut to burn through became a measure of time.