Updated April 6, 2024
(Nov. 22, 2018) A favorite snacking and party nut is recognized each year on November 23 during National Cashew Day.
The cashew nut is a seed harvested from the cashew tree. Northeastern Brazil was the original native home to the cashew tree. However, it is now widely grown in tropical climates for its cashew apples and nuts.
The largest cashew tree in the world covers about 81,000 sq. ft. and is located in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. To put that into perspective that’s a tree that covers 1.8 acres, or nearly 70 times that of a normal cashew tree.
- 1558 – The Europeans discover cashews in Brazil.
- 1560 – Although native to northeast Brazil, the Portuguese took the cashew plant to Goa, India, between 1560 and 1565. From Goa, it spread throughout Southeast Asia and eventually Africa.
- 1905 – Cashews arrive in the United States.
- The cashew tree has a fruit called the “cashew apple”. Its fragile skin makes it unsuitable for transport.
- 1941 – Cashews become a hit overnight, with 22,046.23 tons imported each year.
- Latin Americans make a fruit drink from the cashew apple.
- The Cashew causes fewer allergic reactions than other nuts or peanuts.
- Speaking of the shell, the Cashew is not a true nut. They do not develop a hard wall around the seed like a hazelnut or walnut does. Cashews instead have a lining around the seed that is filled with a caustic fluid.
- Cashews are an excellent source of antioxidants.
- Many parts of the plant are used for medicinal purposes.
- 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.
- Cashews are in the same family as poison ivy and poison sumac, and that’s why cashews are never sold in their shells.
- 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.
- There are 8 people in the U.S. listed on whitepages.com with the last name ‘Cashew’
- In Western countries cashews are eaten mainly as a premium-quality snack food. They have a rich, buttery taste.
- The so-called “raw cashews” available in health food shops have been cooked but not roasted or browned.
- 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
- In traditional Mayan medicine, the leaves or bark of cashew trees can be made into a tea that treats diarrhea.
Sources:
Disclaimer
The information contained in South Florida Reporter is for general information purposes only.
The South Florida Reporter assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions in the contents of the Service.
In no event shall the South Florida Reporter be liable for any special, direct, indirect, consequential, or incidental damages or any damages whatsoever, whether in an action of contract, negligence or other tort, arising out of or in connection with the use of the Service or the contents of the Service. The Company reserves the right to make additions, deletions, or modifications to the contents of the Service at any time without prior notice.
The Company does not warrant that the Service is free of viruses or other harmful components
