Okari nut

Terminalia kaernbachii · Nut

40 pairings

The okari nut is the large, oily kernel of Terminalia kaernbachii, a lowland rainforest tree of Papua New Guinea prized for one of the biggest and richest of all Pacific tree nuts. Gathered and tended around villages, its almond-flavoured kernel is eaten raw or roasted and is regarded as among the finest indigenous nuts of Melanesia.

Picking a good onedrag

Creamy white, crisp, just crackedYellowed, soft, rancid

Market freshThe all-rounder: raw by the handful, or roasted lightly with salt, which one source says improves the flavour.Everyday best

Kernel colourCream to pale ivory, still even

Snap oneSnaps clean, the face a shade duller

Split the layersWhite inside, a faint cream edge

SmellFaintly nutty, close to neutral

What to look for, from creamy white, crisp, just cracked to yellowed, soft, rancid.

Preparing