Raw Cashews

Cashews

The cashew, known botanically as Anacardium occidentale, is the seed of a tropical evergreen shrub related to mango, pistachio and poison ivy. Commercial growers cultivate cashews in warm, humid climates across the globe; Vietnam, Nigeria, India, Brazil, and Indonesia are among the top producers.

The seeds of most fruits grow within the flesh, but the cashew seed hangs from the bottom of a cashew apple, essentially a swollen stem. A hard shell with two layers encases the kidney-shaped cashew seed, which must be harvested by hand. Between these two layers lurks the phenolic resin urushiol, which is the same substance that causes the blistering rash seen after contact with poison ivy and poison oak. The shelling process removes this substance, which is then used in the making of such products as varnish, insecticide, paint, and other industrial products. Because of the potential toxicity, cashews are never sold in the shell.

Fresh cashew apples taste delicious, but only growers and people living near cashew orchards will ever get to enjoy this fruit, as it is highly perishable. Cashew apples begin to ferment immediately after harvesting and stay fresh no longer than 24 hours. Highly prized in their growing locale, cashew apples can sometimes be found canned, in jams, or as the base of a liqueur. Commercial producers in Brazil and India package the juice for sale regionally. The cashew tree itself does not go to waste, as the wood is milled into lumber used to build shipping crates and boats.

The cashew tree grows in tropical areas with an annual rainfall ranging from 400 to 4,000 mm, and it grows from sea level to an altitude of 1,000 m. The Cashew is cultivate primarily in India, Vietnam, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Tanzania, Benin, Brazil and other countries in East and West Central Africa and South East Asia. Plantings have also been established in South Africa and Australia.

Cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) belongs to the Anacardiaceae family, which includes about 60 genera and 400 species, among mango (Mangifera indica L.) and pistachio (Pistacia vera L.) are also included. Cashew trees are evergreen and can grow rapidly up to 20 m, but usually reach 8-12 m height. Anacardium occidentale L. is an andromonoeic species, with male and hermaphrodite flowers on the same plant and in the same panicle.

The cashew tree produces a soft, shiny and juicy fruit, known as cashew apple which bears a single-seeded nut in its bottom covered with a hard grey shell. This nut is the most valued product and is commonly consumed as snack or used in confectionery and cooking.

The cashew apple’s juice is mainly used to make drinks, both natural and fermented. Furthermore, the fruit pulp can be made into jelly, syrup, candied fruit and preserves. The cashew apple juice is rich in vitamin C, antioxidants, minerals and sugars.

The liquid enclosed in the shell of the nut (cashew nut shell liquid, CNSL) is commonly used for industrial purposes. The liquid is nocuous, contains cardol and anacardic acid and has polymerizing and friction-reducing properties. It is used in many industrial processes in developing lubricants, varnishes, cements, drugs, antioxidants and fungicides among other uses.

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