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Candlenut

Waxy nut ground to thicken Southeast Asian curry pastes.

Candlenut — illustrative ingredient image

About Candlenut

Candlenut is the oily, waxy seed of a tropical tree, used in Southeast Asian cooking to enrich and thicken spice pastes, curries, sauces, and soups. It is usually ground with aromatics rather than served as a snack or garnish. Toasting or cooking develops its flavour and helps it blend smoothly into the dish.

Its taste is mild, nutty, and rich, with a texture that becomes creamy and slightly waxy when ground. In a curry paste it contributes body and a smooth, dense mouthfeel rather than a pronounced roasted-nut flavour. The final character also reflects the spices, chillies, herbs, and cooking fat used with it.

Whole candlenuts are rounded, hard-shelled seeds with a pale cream kernel. They may be sold whole, shelled, roasted, or ground. Grinding, pounding, or blending produces a paste; frying or simmering disperses its oil and softens its waxy texture, while extended cooking integrates it into the sauce.

Ingredient type
whole food

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Where candlenut appears

9 linked foods

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Showing 1–9 of 9

Main dishes

Soups

Noodle dishes

Street food

Ingredient connections awaiting review · Coverage is still growing, including packaged snacks.

Name examples awaiting language review. Confirm the specific food or product.

Local names for candlenut

Names and romanised forms to recognise on menus and labels.

English

candlenut

Available names only. Languages may be spoken in other countries; a name alone does not identify every ingredient in a dish.

Candlenut nutrition & diet

Candlenut nutritional value

Reference: Candlenut, kernels, raw

Per 100 g of 100 g edible portion in the named official reference form.

Calories
648kcal
Protein
18.2g
Carbs
3.3g
Fat
62.3g

Official national food-composition reference. The displayed food form is part of the estimate; cultivar, recipe, brand, processing and preparation can change values.

Portions & preparation

Use the kernel portion and identify whether it is raw, roasted, ground, or incorporated into a paste. Candlenut commonly functions as a thickener, so the amount per dish and dilution with other ingredients affect how a serving should be interpreted.

Compare the right form: Match to the candlenut kernel in the stated raw, roasted, ground, or paste form, with any removed shell excluded.

Diet considerations

Candlenut is a plant-derived tree seed, but a curry paste may add shrimp, fish, meat, dairy, or other ingredients. Compatibility therefore depends on the complete recipe, processing, and portion; do not treat a prepared blend as equivalent to the kernel.

AI-authored reading notes · Awaiting editorial review. Measured values, where available, have a separate source above.

Dietary compatibility

  • Vegan
    Not established
  • Vegetarian
    Not established
  • Pescatarian
    Not established
  • Keto
    Not established
  • Paleo
    Not established
  • Low-carb
    Not established
  • Halal
    Not established
  • Kosher
    Not established
What these diet assessments mean
Vegan · Not established
The available profile does not establish the full composition or processing for this dietary pattern.
Vegetarian · Not established
The available profile does not establish the full composition or processing for this dietary pattern.
Pescatarian · Not established
The available profile does not establish the full composition or processing for this dietary pattern.
Keto · Not established
A defined serving and sourced carbohydrate data are needed before assessing this dietary pattern.
Paleo · Not established
The ingredient form and processing have not been assessed against this dietary pattern.
Low-carb · Not established
A defined serving and sourced carbohydrate data are needed before assessing this dietary pattern.
Halal · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish halal status.
Kosher · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish kosher status.

For the plain ingredient · Awaiting review. Diet compatibility is not allergy suitability or halal/kosher certification. Keto and low-carb depend on the portion.

Reviewed ingredient entryIngredient reference · Preparations vary

AI-generated illustration for visual context. It does not identify a particular product or establish allergen content.

Sources & review

Nutrition reference: The Pacific Islands Food Composition Tables, Second Edition (2004) — F010 ↗. Values are scaled from 100 g of the recorded edible form. Individual portions have no assumed fixed weight.

Expanded overview, name examples and nutrition notes are database drafts awaiting editorial review. Numeric nutrition values, where shown, have their own source and food-form reference.

The ingredient description and dish connections come from the draft catalogue and may change after review.

Last recorded verification: .