Buttery smooth and light, the pili nut is as delicious as it is nutritious. It’s no wonder why its name means ‘Chosen One’ in the Philippines where the pili has sustained communities for centuries. In fact, Pili Hunters founder Jason Thomas often claims that the nut chose him.
Tree climbers go to great heights to harvest pili nuts by hand, each one cracked open one-by-one with a machete before being packaged and sold. While common in the Philippines, the pili nut is still one of the world’s best kept secrets. But listen up! Pili Hunters has been on the inside track since 2015, and we’re happy to share our pili nuts with you.
Forget almonds, cashews, walnuts and macadamias. Sure, those other nuts all have their health benefits, but keep reading. You’re going to be blown away as we show you why the Pili Hunters’ pili nut is the best nut on the market, not only because it’s the most delicious and nutritious, but because it’s the most sustainably and ethically harvested nut, too. Ready? Let’s dig in.
1. Pili nuts are the healthiest nut in the world
Pili nuts have more health benefits than any other nut. Grown wild in rich, fertile volcanic soil, pili nuts are teeming with nutrients, and are especially high in magnesium, manganese, and vitamin B1. While high in calories, a few pili nuts go a long way to fill you up and curb your appetite because they’re so nutrient dense, contain cholesterol-lowering good fats, and are composed of all 9 amino acids, making them a complete protein. Plus, they don’t weigh you down and make you tired like most snacks do.
For maximum health, avoid traditional pili nuts that are deep fried in unhealthy fats and doused in high amounts of salt or coated in sugar, and instead seek out pili nuts that are raw or seasoned with healthy oils.
2. Sprouted pili nuts are easy to digest
Nuts and seeds contain phytic acid, which is considered an anti-nutrient because it blocks iron, zinc, and calcium absorption, which can result in mineral deficiencies! Almonds, Brazil nuts, and walnuts all have high amounts of the acid.
Look for pili nuts that have been sprouted and activated in a process that removes the phytic acid containing layer, leaving minerals and nutrients readily available for your body to absorb. Sprouted pili nuts are also soft and buttery, which is perfect for those who might avoid hard nuts for fear of cracking a tooth.
3. Pili nuts are delicious
We can’t stress this enough. Oftentimes a superfood just tastes okay. In the case of pili nuts, the enjoyment is found in devouring then, one delectable nut at a time.
The nutrition is really the icing on the cake. While pili nuts have been adopted by the Keto, Paleo, and Vegan crowd for nutritional reasons, it’s the foodies who should be paying attention.
Some say pili nuts taste like a cross between a cashew or an almond and a macadamia nut, while others say it has a light flavor reminiscent of pine nuts or even a shortbread cookie. But none of these descriptions do the pili nut justice.
Buttery and light, pili nuts have a melt-in-your-mouth texture that is best complemented with a light sprinkle of Himilyanan salt or other herbs and spices, like rosemary, chili, or even the sweetness of cacao and coconut sugar.
4. Pili nuts are sustainable
You might have heard about unsustainable farming practices of almonds and the deplorable cashew shelling practices. Heavy cultivation of these nuts and the drive for lower prices have taken an environmental and humanitarian toll on the planet. Just take a drive through the Central Valley in California to see the devastation commercial almond farms can cause.
On the flipside, pili nuts are not commercially produced. Hand harvested by local villagers, pili nuts grow in forests supported by rich, volcanic soil without pesticides, chemical fertilizers, or irrigation.
The trees are fed by rainwater alone, and help provide habitats for local animals. Eating these nuts also helps preserve natural rainforests as they are harvested from wild trees and incentivize locals to keep the ecosystems intact. Pili Hunters’ pili nuts are better than organic—they’re wild!
At Pili Hunters, we also sustain strong, ethical relationships with the Filipino communities that help us in our mission to deliver pili nuts to the world. Pili nut production labor is intensive, yet the market in the Philippines can only sustain a low price. Instead, by offering fair labor agreements, these communities thrive.
5. Pili nuts have the perfect macronutrients ratio
If the ketogenic diet is your jam, pili nuts have got your back. The whole point of keto is to use fats for fuel, not carbs. Nuts are known for being high fat, but did you know most nuts are also high in carbs? For example, a single serving of almonds, walnuts, and macadamia nuts have 4 grams of carbs per serving.
Nuts are no longer a keto no-no with pili nuts, which contain the lowest carbohydrates than any other nut at only 2 grams per serving—perfect for vegans, Keto and Paleo dieters, and those who just like eating real, healthy, delicious food. Read more about pili nut macros here.
As the world’s healthiest nut, why are pili nuts left off ‘most healthy nuts’ and ‘best nuts’ lists? It’s simply because they’re still so new to the world at large. We want to give the world access to these amazing nuts in a way that’s sustainable and ethical. Do good for your body while you do good for the world with Pili Hunters.
Monoculture = No-no-culture
Monoculture is the cultivation of a single crop in one area and while it’s the opposite of traditional farming practices, it has become the predominant farming method for large-scale, (and often corporate) food production. Home gardeners know to rotate crops because replanting the same food in the same spot will deplete soil quality.
Depleted soil quality weakens vegetation, which attracts more pests. To counter these effects of monoculture, fertilizers and pesticides become essential. The result is nutritionally subpar food laden with chemicals.
Organic farming is better since organic fertilizers and pesticides are used, however, monoculture practices are often predominant, resulting in less nutrient dense food as well.
That’s why at Pili Hunters we love our WILD pili nuts. Grown in volcanic-ash rich soil that’s stacked with nutrients and minerals naturally, our pili nuts grow in abundance without the use of pesticides or fertilizers. It just doesn’t get better than this.
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