Macadamia

I have never seen a macadamia tree. It is not surprising that I did not recognise it even when it was right in front of me.  If my Rwandan friend, Innocent, did not point it out to me, I would have missed my chance to see a macadamia tree. 

Indeed, upon closer inspection, I can find clusters of the fruit on the tree. 

Just hours earlier, while mapping out houses for the installation of solar panels, I chanced upon a family de-husking macadamia nuts.  I was a bit surprised to see that the whole fruit is not that much bigger than the nut.  

A student told me she has never seen even a macadamia nut, with the shell on. All she has ever seen are the white, spherical “meat” of the nut. 

I learn something new every time I come to Rwanda.