Cashew

Cashew is the name of a tree grown in tropical climates in order to produce Cashew nuts and Cashew apples. The plant is native in the northeast of Brazil, where it is called by its Portuguese name Caju or Cajueiro.

The fruit of the cashew tree is a type of small roughly boxing-glove-shaped nut. Especially within their dark green shells, Cashews contain a toxin that must be removed before they can be eaten. The so-called 'raw cashews' occasionally available in healthfood shops have been cooked but not roasted or browned.

Cashew nuts are a common ingredient in Asian cooking, for example in dishes such as 'chicken with cashews'. They can also be ground into a spread similar to peanut butter. Cashews have a very high oil content, and they are used in some other nutbutters to add extra oil.

In addition to its fruit, the cashew tree produces the cashew apple -- an oval to pear-shaped pseudo fruit, which develops out of the peduncle of the cashew nut. The ripe cashew apple colored in yellow and/or red and about the size of a plum or pear (5-11cm). It is used for its juicy but acidic pulp, which can be eaten raw or used in the production of jam, chutney, or various beverages. Depending on local customs, its juice is also processed and distilled to liquor or consumed dilluted and sugared as a refreshing drink. However, the cashew apples also contain much tannin and are very perishable. For this reason, they are often just dumped after removing the cashew nut.

Originally spread from Brazil by the Portuguese, the cashew tree today can be found in all regions with a sufficiently warm and humid climate.

Literature

• Julia F. Morton, Fruits of Warm Climates, ISBN 0-9610184-1-0, available online