

The shell of the cashew seed can be used in many applications such as lubricants, waterproofing, paints and arms production, which started in World War II.ġ6. They can also be processed into cashew cheese or cashew butter, which is very similar to peanut butter.ġ5. It’s made from pressed cashew nuts, typically broken chunks created during processing.ġ4. Cashew oil is a dark yellow oil used for cooking or as salad dressing. They’re a characteristic ingredient of numerous chicken and vegetarian dishes of southern India.ġ3. Cashews are commonly used in South and Southeast Asian cuisine. In Western countries, cashews are mainly eaten as a premium quality snack as they have a rich and buttery taste.ġ2. Cashews also have a high content of oleic acid, which is an omega 9 fatty acid.ġ1. They also have vitamins such as vitamin C, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, vitamin B6, folate, vitamin E, and vitamin K. Cashews are very nutritious and are packed with protein and essential minerals including copper, calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc.ġ0. Within the tree fruit is a single seed, which is often considered a nut, in the culinary sense.ĩ.

The dupe develops first on the tree, and then the pedicel expands to become the cashew apple. The true fruit of the cashew tree is a kidney shaped drupe that grows at the end of the cashew apple. People who have a tendency to get kidney stones or have gallbladder issues may need to avoid or reduce their intake of cashews as they have oxalates, which can make their condition worse.Ĩ. Cashew nuts are eaten “raw”, which means that they’re generally heat treated, roasted, salted and as a spread, added to main meals like salads.ħ.

The starch content of cashew nuts is about 23%, which is a lot higher than most other nuts and makes them suitable for thickening sauces.Ħ. However, some people are allergic to them due to the trace irritants similar to “urushiol,” which is in poison ivy, pistachios and mangos.ĥ. Due to the proteins in the nuts, some people are allergic to cashew nuts as they are to other tree nuts. They’re nearly always treated by roasting, boiling or steaming before they’re shelled.Ĥ. While in their shell, cashew nuts are surrounded by a toxic oil or resin that’s similar to urushiol called “anacardic acid,” which can burn or irritate the skin. In 2010, Nigeria was the top producer of cashew nuts, producing 650,000 tonnes.ģ. Cashews grow on 10 to 15 meter, or 32 to 50 feet, evergreen trees known as cashew trees, which belong to the Anacardiaceae family.Ģ. Take a look below for 25 more fun and fascinating facts about cashews.ġ. From there, it spread throughout Southeast Asia and eventually, Africa. The cashew tree made its way to the Goa, India, between 15 with Portuguese sailors. Cashews are the kidney shaped seeds that adhere to the bottom of the cashew apple, which is the fruit of the cashew tree, which is native to the coastal areas of northeastern Brazil.
