Tahiti Chestnut (Inocarpus fagifer)

Family: Fabaceae | Edibility: Choice Edible (4/5)

Inocarpus fagifer or commonly known as Tahiti Chestnut is an evergreen tree exhibiting a large and dense canopy, and short, thick, irregular and buttressed bole of up to 90 cm in diameter. It grows usually about 20 m in height. It has a shallow taproot and well-formed network of lateral roots. It is grown in East Asia for its edible seeds. The leaves are dark green, oblong, and leathery.

Edible Parts & Harvest Seasons

Edible Parts: Nuts/Seeds

Harvest Seasons: Fall, Late Summer

Flavor & Culinary Uses

flavour and are very nutritious. — Seed - raw or cooked.; Boiled before they are quite ripe, they resemble chestnuts in flavour and are very nutritious.; They can be boiled or baked.; The grated seeds are used for making flat cakes, breads and puddings.

Habitat & North American Range

Common in coastal forests, margins of swampy places, along rivers, and even in dry forest. Lowland secondary forest, stream banks, swamps and marshes, mangrove areas, and coconut plantations at elevations from sea level to 500 metres. (Zone 10)