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Peruvian Walnut
A darker, more even cousin of American black walnut: deep chocolate, straighter grain and a more even color.
Color over time
Approximate, in a normally lit room. Illustrated grain; real boards vary.
- Hardness
- 960 MediumHigher number means harder to dent. About the Janka test
- Weight
- Medium
- Cost of the wood
- $$$Premium, per board foot
- Grows in
- Southern Mexico to the Andes
What it looks like
Deep chocolate, often with a faint dark brown/almost black tint and few streaks. The grain is straight and calm, with little pattern.
How it changes over time
Like black walnut, it lightens a little in the sun and shows warmer brown tones. But it starts so dark that indoors it holds its color well.
Shimmer
A nice natural sheen, but plain, straight grain.
Smell
Faint, like black walnut; none once finished.
With a natural wax finish
Dark and matte, almost like ebony. Best with an oil under the wax, so the color stays deep and rich.
With a semi-gloss lacquer finish
A deep, rich pop in the grain.
Safe for food?
Good for foodUsed as a darker walnut in cutting and serving boards. It’s a little softer than black walnut, so it shows knife marks sooner.
Looks great with
- Hard Maple: even more contrast than walnut and maple
- Curly / Quilted Maple: a shimmering pattern on a near-black background
- White Ash: blond against near-black
- Cherry: cherry darkens toward it over the years
- Sapele: copper against dark brown
- Padauk: red accents on a dark background