Brazil nut, also called para nut, comes from a large, evergreen tree found mainly in forests near the Amazon River and its tributaries in northern Brazil, Guyana, and Venezuela. The tree grows up to 150 feet (46 meters) tall. In old trees, the trunk at the base varies from 4 to 6 feet (1.2 to 1.8 meters) wide. The trees develop long, straight trunks. The wavy leaves are bright green and leathery, and often grow 12 to 15 inches (30 to 38 centimeters) long and 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 centimeters) wide.
The nuts are the seeds of the tree. They form inside roundish or pear-shaped woody fruit. Each fruit has from 12 to 24 nuts. The nut kernels are rich in oil and delicious to eat. Oil crushed from the kernels is used for salads. Low-grade oil is used in making soap. The fruits ripen from November to June. Force must be used to cut open the 1/4-inch (6-millimeter) shell of the fruit, and then the hard seed coats must be removed.
See also Cannon-ball tree.
