Tag: Oil palm

According to the USDA Forest Service, nuts are actually fruits, defined as dry, single-seeded fruits with a high oil content. This sheds light on the common question: Is a palm nut a fruit or vegetable? The answer is rooted in botany, where the term 'fruit' is much broader than the culinary definition we typically use.

Globally, humans consume an average of 7.7 kg of palm oil per person each year, a product often referred to as palm fat. This versatile fat is an edible vegetable oil derived from the fruit of the oil palm tree and is distinguished by its unique blend of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids.

Over 5,000 years of documented human use of palms demonstrate that certain palm kernels are indeed edible, but safety depends entirely on the species. The edibility of palm kernels is a crucial distinction, as while some, like those from the oil palm tree, yield useful products, others are highly toxic.

With a remarkable fat content of up to 76% by weight, the macadamia nut is frequently cited as the plant with the most fat. However, pinpointing a single definitive plant requires careful consideration of what is being measured—whether it's fat percentage by weight or by total calories. This article explores the plants with the highest fat content, contrasting nuts, seeds, and fruits to provide a comprehensive answer.