Anacardium occidentale

Cashew nuts come from the fruits of a tropical evergreen tree bearing red flowers, which transform into juicy apples containing cashew nuts in shells. While the apple is also edible, it is considered a secondary fruit, with the cashew nut being the primary fruit.

As with other nuts, the price of the final product largely depends on the process of removing the shell. The shell of the cashew nut contains toxins similar to those found in poisonous ivy, causing significant skin irritation upon contact. Therefore, the shell is first burned to neutralize some components of the toxin, then cracked, either mechanically or manually, and the inner shell membrane is removed. To ensure that no toxins remain on the nut, all cashews, whether roasted or raw, are treated with steam.

Cashew nuts are rich in unsaturated fatty acids, with most of the fat in them being healthy mono-unsaturated fatty acids - 63% of total fat.

It is said that consuming a handful of nuts at least 5 times a week reduces the risk of heart and cardiovascular diseases by 30-50%. In addition to unsaturated fatty acids, cashew nuts contain fiber, arginine, magnesium, copper, manganese, and zinc.

Cashew nuts have a low glycemic index (GI 25).

They are an excellent source of plant protein - about 5 g per handful of nuts, making them an excellent choice for vegetarians or anyone else looking to reduce their intake of animal proteins.

Containing iron, 30 g of cashew nuts will satisfy 12% of the body's daily iron requirements. Since our body is not good at absorbing iron from plants, it is recommended to combine it with foods rich in vitamin C.

The same percentage applies to zinc, which plays an important role in our body, especially in skin and hair regeneration and boosting immunity.

It is important to note that cashew nuts contain few natural chemicals to which some people are intolerant. Toasting cashew nuts increases the level of these chemicals.

Cashew nuts are available throughout the year in self-service or specialized stores. Only nuts cleaned of the shell are sold due to the above reasons.

Cashews can be purchased raw, roasted, salted, sweetened, candied, but in our opinion, it is best to buy them raw and make them at home to your exact taste.

When buying cashews, pay attention to their weight when you grab them in your hand; they should be light cream-white, compact, uniform without cracks, mold, spots, and should not have a musty smell.

As for quality, cashew nuts are classified in two ways, one way refers to the condition of the nuts (from whole to pieces), while the other way refers to the color of the nuts. Both methods are divided into 6 categories, and each category has its specific labels. To avoid going too much into this issue, we will describe only what you most commonly encounter in supermarkets and specialized stores. In most stores, you will come across nuts of the first quality (out of 6), which will have one or more letters and a number in their name. The letters can be W (whole), B (broken), S (halves), WB, WS, LWP (large pieces), SWP (small pieces). Whole nuts are considered the best, so accordingly, they have the highest price. If the nuts are marked with the letter W, then a number is added to that letter, which can range from 150-450, and it indicates the number of whole nuts in one pound or 0.45 kg. To explain it further, W150 is super premium quality, W210 premium quality, W450 regular. W320 is the most common quality and is used as a basis for pricing all other cashew nuts.

Cashews should be stored in a cool and dry place, preferably in a bag in the refrigerator for up to 6 months or in deep freezing for up to 1 year.