What's a Cashew?

According to The Global Cashew Council, the cashew tree grows in tropical areas with an annual rainfall ranging from 400 to 4,000 mm, and it grows from sea level to an altitude of 1,000 m. The Cashew is cultivated primarily in India, Vietnam, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Tanzania, Benin, Brazil, and other countries in East and West Central Africa and South East Asia. Plantings have also been established in South Africa and Australia. Cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) belongs to the Anacardiaceae family, which includes about 60 genera and 400 species, among mango (Mangifera indica L.) and pistachio (Pistacia vera L.) are also included. Cashew trees are evergreen and can grow rapidly up to 20 m, but usually reach 8-12 m height. Anacardium occidentale L. is an andromonoeic species, with male and hermaphrodite flowers on the same plant and in the same panicle.

Cashew Cultivation and Cashew Nut Harvesting in My Village; posted 6/2/22

Overview of Cashew Production

World production of cashews currently ranges between 720,000 and 790,000 metric tons (kernel basis) per year (seasons 2015/16-2019/20). India, with 170,000-195,000 MT of annual production, ranks first, followed by Côte d'Ivoire, Vietnam and Tanzania averaging 149,000; 82,000 and 53,000 MT, respectively.

Seasons

Flowering takes place from December to April in the Northern hemisphere, and from June to December in the Southern hemisphere, with a higher concentration from September to November. The cashew has crossed fertilization. About a week after fertilization, the green nut with a puny apple (false fruit) appears. The nut rapidly grows till it reaches almost 80% of its final size. The fruit starts growing to become wider and apple-shaped after the nut attains its full size. The apple has a thin green skin and as it matures the color turns red or yellow and becomes fragrant. Meanwhile, the nut's shell becomes hard and turns grey in color and the kernel grows within the nut. Nut and apple fall to the ground when fully mature. The time for fruit maturity varies from 2-3 months depending on the variety, the health of the tree, and the climate conditions during fruit growth. Harvest takes place during dry weather and nuts are harvested only when the apples are fully ripe. Three to four flowering and fruiting in a 3-4 month horizon makes multiple harvesting necessary. The nut remains firmly attached to the apple and consequently, the bulk of the harvest consists of the cashew apples.

Tree Products

The cashew tree produces a soft, shiny, and juicy fruit, known as the cashew apple which bears a single-seeded nut in its bottom covered with a hard grey shell. This nut is the most valued product and is commonly consumed as a snack or used in confectionery and cooking. The cashew apple's juice is mainly used to make drinks, both natural and fermented. Furthermore, the fruit pulp can be made into jelly, syrup, candied fruit, and preserves. The cashew apple juice is rich in vitamin C, antioxidants, minerals, and sugars. The liquid enclosed in the shell of the nut (cashew nut shell liquid, CNSL) is commonly used for industrial purposes. The liquid is nocuous, contains cardol and anacardic acid and has polymerizing and friction-reducing properties. It is used in many industrial processes in developing lubricants, varnishes, cement, drugs, antioxidants, and fungicides among other uses.

Benefits of Cashews

Cashews May Have 16% Less Calories Than Previously Thought

New scientific findings showed that the energy content of cashews -the calories- is 16% lower than what is typically stated on current food labels and databases in the United States, including the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard References. The study also makes a claim to correct this value in order to provide consumers with accurate energy information.

Calorie Content in Cashews Carried out by the USDA with the support of the Global Cashew Council and the INC and published in the journal Nutrients, the study brings off a human intervention trial with eighteen healthy volunteers. 9 males and 9 females were recruited to participate in a 9-week feeding test divided into two periods. In the first, participants consumed a controlled base diet supplemented with 42 g/day of cashews for 4 weeks and in the second, a controlled base died with no cashews for 4 more weeks. After analyzing protein, fat, and energy from their diet samples (feces and urine) by the end of each period, the results showed that the calorie content of cashews is 16% lower than what is now stated on current food labels and nutritional databases. Cashews and Cholesterol On the other hand, another recent study, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, concluded that 42 g/day of cashews may not increase “bad” cholesterol levels. The study also observed that adding 42 g of cashews every day to a typical Western diet may help reduce the enzyme PCSK9, and lower PCSK9 concentrations are associated with the removal of LDL “bad” cholesterol from the blood. In sum, whereas the current reported that the energy value of cashews is 163 kilocalories (kcal) per serving (28 g – 1 oz), USDA researchers found that the calorie content of a portion is 137 kcal, 16% less.