Macadamia nuts: A luxury for all of us

The macadamia nut industry has to be happy that it had such a cranky advocate in Cho Hyun-ah.

That, of course, is the Korean Air Lines executive — and the daughter of the big boss — who went ballistic about macadamias being served in a bag, rather than on a plate, to first class passengers aboard the jet she was riding. She imperiously ordered the errant flight attendant off the plane. The result of all that drama, along with the exec’s resignation, was that macadamias got a big shot of publicity — and right at the holidays, when they’re popular gifts, anyway.

"If anything should be served on a silver tray, it should be macadamia nuts," said Richard Schnitzler, president of Hamakua Macadamia Nut Co.

He was joking, sort of, but it sounds like he stumbled onto the makings of a great advertising campaign.