Here's five reasons cashew nuts are not your usual nut:

1. Its “fruit” or apple is not a fruit. It is an enlarged end of  the cashew’s stem before the nut appears.

2. The fruit is rarely consumed far away from its origins, for it spoils within 24 hours.
3. A parts of the cashew nut is toxic for many.
4. It takes a lot of labor to ready the nuts for worldwide shipment.
5. In short, this nut is processed by the poor, consumed by the rich.

            Though tiny, this insignificant knob, kidney-shaped nut attached to its large fruit ranks third after the almond and walnut for importance in world trade. It’s annual crop amounts to $650-million. Production has climbed steadily each year, and 96 percent of them come from Brazil. Purchase cashews roasted, honey-roasted, dry roasted, salted, chocolate-coated, also plain.  

Cashew nuts date back to the year 1558, when a French naturalist noticed an unfamiliar plant on the northeast coast of Brazil. He also saw people enjoying the fruit’s juice and roasting nuts in a fire. A few years later the Portuguese brought the cashew to Goa in India and to the east coast and the west coast of Africa.

A tropical American tree, (anacardium occidentale), is a member of the Sumac family. It is also closely related to the mango and pistachio plants thriving within a belt running from the 7 degree north and south of the equator. A peak production area is Forteleza, Brazil. An average tree can reach 40 feet in height and bear 70 to 200 pounds of nuts for a 15 to 20 year period. Clusters of fragrant, red and yellow flowers form on the tree’s branches, yielding bright fruits, called cashew apples.  

The actual nut, as it comes from the tree, is a thick-shelled, single-seeded, kidney-shaped nut. Inside the nut is the edible kernel covered with another thinner shell. Between the outer and inner shells is a thick, caustic oil called “cardol” which can cause blisters and must be removed. Kernels are roasted to remove toxins.  

Because there is a lot of labor associated with cashew processing, they are expensive. The trade-off for the processors is they get to use the tasty, short-lived fruit in many ways. Processing begins when the nuts are a steam roasted. Kernels are removed from the shells by hand then heat processed for almost ten hours. The next step is to remove the outer red skin by hand with a knife. Cashews are then sized, sorted as to color and grade. There are 22 grades of cashews. 

The composition of cashew nuts is:  5 percent water, 17 percent protein, 46 percent fat and 29 percent carbohydrates. They are a good source of iron, magnesium, zinc and vitamin E. They are lower in total fat than most nuts and seeds but re relatively high in saturated fat. Due to their high fat content, cashews should be stored, tightly in the refrigerator to discourage rancidness. Roasted cashews are more nuttier in flavor.  

Uses for cashew nuts: 

Roast cashews for a nuttier flavor

Cashew apples, where available, are used in jam, jelly, fruit syrup, taking, beverages, juice, wine and vinegar.

Nut meats, once pulverized in coffee grinder, become "nut dust" and make almost any dish tastier.

Make spicy cashews by sauteing unsalted, roasted cashews in olive oil, a bit of chili powder and sea salt.

Garnish soups and salads with moderately chopped cashews.

Cashew milk - combine 1/2 cup raw cashew nuts, 2 cups water and a dash of maple syrup in a blender to form a thick cream. This can be used in recipes.

Cashew butter occurs when the nuts are pulverized in blender until smooth. Dollops flavor and thicken soups and stews.

RECIPE:

CHILIED MUSHROOM
AND CASHEW PATE

(Prepared by M.S. Milliken and S. Feniger) 

4 T.          whole butter unsweetened

1 pound       mushrooms, sliced

1/2  large    onion, minced

2 cloves       garlic, minced

1 1/2 t.       chile powder, or to taste

1 t.           sea salt, or to taste

1 t.           coriander

1/4 t.         cumin

1 cup          roasted cashews

2 T.           vegetable oil

                black pepper to taste

                parsley, chopped for garnish

 

• Melt butter in medium skillet, over high heat. 
• Saute the mushrooms for 3 to 4 minutes.
• Add the onion, cook until translucent.
• Ad the garlic for a minute.
• Add spices.
• Cook until mixture is fairly dry.
• Cool.
• Chop cashews finely in food processor with a metal blade.
• Add the oil to make a paste.
• Add the mushroom mixture and continue mixing until smooth.
• Adjust seasoning.
• Serve at room temperature.       

 © Marty Martindale, Largo FL, 2001