Pili nut pioneer Mount Mayon eyes global success

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Based in the Philippines, Mount Mayon is a snacking company that has been working with pili nuts for the past 15 years. During this time, co-founder David Weil said the snacking group has been ‘developing our systems to get the best nut possible’. He describes Mount Mayon as ‘the original pili pioneers’.

Native to southeast Asia, the pili nut can be challenging to work with. Tough shells mean mechanical de-shelling machines often crush the nut kernel in the process, resulting in high levels of waste.

Mount Mayon therefore relies heavily on hand-processing and traditional Filipino techniques combined with its ‘unique natural processes’, including a proprietary ‘SlowDry’ method. “Activating nuts is an ancient and traditional practice that involves the soaking of nuts in brine and letting them dry in the hot sun. Our process is based on this but, without giving away our secrets, we strive to produce the best natural nut possible. There is a lot of hand-processing from harvesting to final production,”​ Weil revealed.

Mount Mayon nuts are grown without ‘harmful chemicals’ and are certified as free from pesticides.

Introducing pili nuts to the world

It is fair to say that pili nuts are relatively unknown in markets like Europe, Weil noted. However, he suggested that recent years have seen an increase in awareness. This is reflected in the accolades Mount Mayon has received – from the Guild of Fine Foods’ Great Taste Awards to the International Taste and Quality Institute Awards in Brussels and the Snacking D’Ors Awards in Paris.

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