Kenari is the Indonesian name for Canarium amboinense Hoch., synonymous with Canarium indicum L., a forest nut native to Eastern Indonesia. Long enjoyed by local communities in the region, this little-known nut has a naturally creamy, buttery character and a nutritional profile worth discovering.
Wild Harvested by the locals
Long before Kenari reached international shelves, it grew naturally in the forests of Eastern Indonesia. In the Spice Island Region and surrounding islands, Kenari trees have been part of the landscape and one of the local food sources for generations.
Kenari trees grow naturally in the fertile, mineral-rich volcanic soils of Eastern Indonesia, where forest, climate and geology come together to shape their environment.
A mature Kenari tree can become a remarkable forest tree, developing a broad canopy and reaching heights of up to 30–40 meters. Its fruit provides food for wildlife, its nuts provide food for local communities, while the tree remains part of the living forest around it.
This is what we mean when we call Kenari a forest nut.
30–40 M
Tree height
35+ YEARS
Tree age
FERTILE SOIL
Grows in mineral-rich soils
WILD HARVESTED
From naturally occurring trees
Kenari Fruit → Kenari In Shell → Kenari In Testa → Kenari Nut
What arrives to you as a pale, buttery kernel begins quite differently. Kenari starts as a fruit, with several layers protecting the part we eventually eat.
The outer fruit is removed, the hard shell is opened, and the testa (soft skin) is carefully separated to reveal the kernel (nut) inside. Each stage matters in preserving the quality of the finished nut.
From wild fruit to finished nut, every step shapes the Kenari you eventually taste.
A bowl of our ready-to-eat Kenari Nuts
Kenari has a naturally creamy to light-brown appearance, a soft texture and a rich, buttery taste. It is distinctive enough to stand on its own, yet familiar enough to make you wonder why you haven't encountered it before.
Our laboratory analysis, conducted by an ISO/IEC 17025-accredited laboratory, revealed that Kenari is naturally rich in magnesium, along with protein, healthy fats (including omega-3), amino acids and other minerals (Phosphorus, Iron, Potassium and Manganese).
Its nutritional profile is one of the characteristics that makes Kenari especially interesting as a food and ingredient: snacks, muesli, salads, plant-based milk, ice cream, nut butter, bakery, pesto, curry paste, and there is much more to explore.
Detailed nutritional and analytical data are available upon request. Contact Us
In 2023, dried Kenari nuts (Canarium indicum L., syn. Canarium amboinense Hochr.) were authorized for placement on the European Union market as a traditional food from a third country, following a notification submitted by Kawanasi Sehat Dasacatur, PT.
Kawanasi initiated the process in 2020 to establish a pathway for Kenari to enter the European food market.
Detailed information on the EU authorization is available upon request. Contact Us
Kenari is more than a nut. It connects people, forests, food and the future of Eastern Indonesia.
That's why Kawanasi created #SignifiKenari, an initiative to highlight the significance of Kenari for people, forests, nutrition and the future.
PEOPLE
Creating value with communities who have known Kenari for generations.
FORESTS
Recognizing the role of Kenari trees within the natural forest ecosystem.
NUTRITION
Sharing what we continue to learn about the nutritional potential of this distinctive nut.
FOR THE FUTURE
Opening new possibilities for an underutilized Indonesian non-timber forest product.
#SignifiKenari is Kawanasi's invitation to look beyond the nut, to its people, its forests, its nutritional potential and the possibilities it holds for the future. Discover #SignifiKenari