First Brazil nut pods this year

Cleuson harvested the first Brazil nut (Bertholetia excelsa) pods this past Friday. They normally fall from high up in the gigantic trees in January and February, after taking a full year to reach maturity. Some pods may have already fallen, but these are the first we've seen. The nuts inside are quite valuable, so it's no surprise to learn that we have at least one neighbor who gets up very early to collect them. Cleuson knows, because the nuts are sold to a lady in Cipoal, who uses them in her cookie recipe, biscoitos de castanha. Notice the yellow flowers on the ground. The Brazil nut tree blooms at the same time the mature pods are falling.