Common in South East Asian cooking and a little similar to macadamia nuts in size and appearance, though with a lower oil content. Macadamias can be substituted though – as candlenuts are often used to thicken a spice paste

Candlenuts ( buah keras in Bahasa Malaysia) are cream-coloured waxy nuts. They are often ground into a paste with other spices to thicken and flavour curry dishes.