Cashew Nuts Roasted

The cashew is originally a Brazilian nut. The Portuguese subsequently brought it to various continents.

Cashew nuts are the seeds of a tropical tree that is related to the pistachio tree. The nuts grow in a hard shell at the bottom of the fruit, the cashew apple. The colour of this apple ranges from red to yellow. Only one nut grows beneath each apple. This nut ripens fourteen days before the apple and then falls off it. After harvesting, the nuts are dried. The tropical tree only bears fruit after three years or more have passed. A single tree yields between 15 and 30 kg.

Cashew nuts are dried naturally, but also artificially. At the factory they are roasted in their shells to make the shell easy to crack. The oil released during this process is collected. The nut is then heated so that the brown skin can be removed. Afterwards they are sorted by size and colour.

The cashew is relatively inexpensive and is still regarded as a delicacy. This is one of the reasons why this nut is so popular.