National Chocolate Covered Cashews Day is observed each year on April 21st. The cashew is a tree from the family Anacardiaceae. Its English name comes from Portuguese the fruit of the cashew tree “caju.” Originally native to Northeastern Brazil, cashew trees are now widely grown in tropical climates for its cashew fruit and nuts.
Surprisingly, the shell of the cashew nut is toxic, which is why the cashew is shelled before it is sold to consumers. The cashew nut is a very popular snack with a delicious flavor. They are a well-known favorite during the holidays but can be enjoyed anytime throughout the year.
- Pistachio, mango, cashew and poison ivy are in the same family.
- Cashews are a kidney shaped seed that grows on the bottom of a cashew apple.
- The cashew apple, is a kind of fruit to which the cashew nut is attached. This fleshy fruit has an aroma some people love while others dislike, the most common way of preparation of this fruit is doing a tasteful juice mixed with water and sugar.
- Cashews in Costa Rica are harvested during March and April.
- India is the world’s largest producer of cashews, with Brazil second and Africa a distant third.
- Cashews have a high fat content, which means that if they are left at room temperature, they won’t stay fresh for long.
- The shell of the cashew is poisonous.
- The United States consumes over 90% of the world’s cashew crop.
- The colloquial name for the cashew nut comes from the Portuguese name for the nut, caju.
- Oil from cashew nut shells is used in insecticides, brake linings, and rubber and plastic manufacture. The milky sap from the tree is used to make a varnish.
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