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Pili nuts

Natural goodness – in a nutshell

These subtly flavoured nuts grow on pili trees, mainly in the Bicol region of the Philippines.

Manuella Magnin | 20.03.2017

Pili nuts are mainly grown in the Bicol region of the Philippines. ©Alamy Stock Photo/inga spence

Native to South East Asia, Papua New Guinea and Northern Australia, pili trees (Canarium ovatum) are rustic trees whose fruit resembles large olives around five centimetres in length. Their blackish brown skin sometimes has a purplish tinge. Pili trees grow naturally in the volcanic regions of Bicol in the Philippines. For years, pili nuts have remained relatively unknown outside their native regions, but they are now gradually starting to appear in European and North American shops and are gaining in popularity, notably due to their nutritional value.

In her book Tous les Fruits Comestibles du Monde published in 1999, Marie-Pierre Bonnassieux already highlighted the virtues of pili nuts, which have a high fat and protein content. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), they are an excellent source of energy, with a high calorie density of 719 kcal per 100 g, higher than that of macadamia nuts (718 kcal/100 g), Brazil nuts (656 kcal/100 g) or walnuts (655 kcal/100 g)¹. Pili nuts are a good source of magnesium, iron, calcium, potassium and zinc and contain a high proportion of saturated fatty acids.

The fruit resembles a large olive around 5 cm in length. Its blackish brown skin sometimes has a purplish tinge. Bech's Organic Pili Nut Farm, San Andres, Romblon, Philippines©Bech's Organic Pili Nut Farm/flickr

To benefit from the nutritional qualities of pili nuts, it is best to eat them raw, freshly shelled.©Bech's Organic Pili Nut Farm/flickr

Pili nuts are used in desserts and sweet snacks. They are also one of the main ingredients of Chinese moon cakes.©Bech's Organic Pili Nut Farm/flickr

Honey-roasted pili nuts, Camarines Sur, Philippines, 2007CC BY 2.0/Shubert Ciencia

How to eat pili nuts

Due to their very high fat content, pili nuts have a buttery flavour similar to roasted pumpkin seeds with a hint of olive. Their pulp is both smooth and slightly fibrous. In the Philippines, these nuts are usually roasted and sweetened to eat as a snack, or integrated into various recipes. However, to benefit from all the nutritional qualities of pili nuts, it is best to eat them raw and freshly shelled. They can thus enhance a salad or yoghurt.

Where to find them

Pili nuts are still hard to find in Europe, but are sold in various German stores (Edeka Group, Globus, Handelshof, Rewe perfetto), in Monoprix in France, in Carrefour in Belgium and in Manor in Switzerland. They are also available in many online stores in the United States. Just type ‘pili nuts, where to buy’ into a search engine to get a list of sites which sell them.

Nutritional information

Values for 100 g of dried nuts

(% of recommended daily intake)

Calories 719 kcal (36%)

Protein 11 g (22%)

Fat 80 g (122%)

Saturated fatty acids 31 g (156%)

Polyunsaturated fatty acids 8 g

Monounsaturated fatty acids 37 g

Cholesterol 0 mg

Carbohydrate 4 g (1.3%)

Sodium 3 mg (0.1%)