Cashew Nut - Anacardium occidentale

Common Names: Cashew, Cashew Nut, Cashew Tree, Anacardium occidentale, Marañón, Caju, Cajueiro, Anacard, Anacardier, Acaju, Acajou, Acajuba, Acajaiba, Jambu golok, Jambu mete, Jambu monyet, East Indian Almond, Cashu, Casho, Pomme cajou, Jocote marañón, Merey, Noix d'acajou, Cacajuil, Gajus, Alcayoiba, Acardium occidentale, Pomme, Monkey Rose Apple, Cadji gum

Latin Name: Anacardium occidentale

Origin: Africa, Asia, South America

Short Introduction

Cashew nuts are primarily cultivated in tropical regions, as the cashew tree is frost-sensitive yet highly adaptable to various climates between roughly 25° North and 25° South latitude. The average yield per hectare is about 0.25 metric tons for standard cashew trees and 1.10 metric tons for dwarf varieties.

Modern practices—including grafting and advanced agricultural technologies—are employed to enhance and maintain crop productivity. In 2013, global cashew production reached 4.4 million metric tons, with Vietnam producing nearly 1.1 million tons, making it the world's largest single-country producer. By 2014, the Ivory Coast saw a surge in output, positioning it as Africa’s top cashew exporter.

Although native to subtropical zones and mostly grown in areas of high heat and humidity, the cashew tree can be attempted as a houseplant in temperate climates. Seeds are best germinated in simple propagation media or growing substrates, and can take up to eight weeks (or more) to sprout. After sprouting, seeds should be planted about 2 cm deep in substrate, with the use of a greenhouse or propagator recommended for faster germination.

Detailed Description

A globally renowned delicacy with remarkable benefits.

Botanical Information

The cashew tree (Anacardium occidentale) is a tall, tropical evergreen with a short, irregularly shaped trunk, typically reaching a height of 4–12 meters (maximum 14 meters). The tree begins to bear nuts after about three years, and becomes economically productive after around eight years. Specially bred dwarf varieties, growing to about 6 meters, mature faster and yield more, fruiting within their first year and reaching full productivity by year three.

The tree produces edible drupes most widely known as cashew nuts. These seeds are encased within a false fruit called the cashew apple, an oblong, yellow-to-red fleshy stalk, which closely resembles an apple. The grayish-brown true fruit is a hard nut attached to the end of the cashew apple. Its shell contains a caustic oil (cardol and derivatives) that can irritate skin, so the raw shell is carefully removed by roasting or heating prior to human consumption.

Cashew nuts are always sold shelled. The cashew apple’s sweet, juicy pulp is bright red to yellow, and can also be eaten or processed in foods and beverages. Cashews are enjoyed on their own, used in culinary recipes, or processed into products like cashew cheese or cashew butter.

The leaves are alternately (often spirally) arranged, oval, egg-shaped, or elongated, measuring 4–22 cm in length and 2–15 cm in width, with smooth, leathery surfaces and rounded or notched tips. Young leaves are reddish. The tree flowers in large, branched inflorescences 10–25 cm long; the small, white to pinkish-red, aromatic flowers have five stamens and a long style, with pointed petals.

Origin and Distribution

The cashew tree is indigenous to the coastal areas of northeastern Brazil and parts of Venezuela. It was domesticated long before the arrival of Europeans in the late 15th century. The first written record dates to 1578, though Portuguese explorers introduced the tree to Goa, India, between 1560 and 1565, spreading the cashew to Southeast Asia and Africa thereafter.

Today, cashews are cultivated in tropical zones with humid climates and brief dry seasons up to 800 meters elevation. The world's largest cashew producers are Vietnam, Nigeria, India, and the Ivory Coast. Under suitable conditions, cashew trees can naturalize into local woodlands and riverbank flora, and they tolerate saline soils. The world's largest cashew tree, listed in the Guinness Book of Records (1994), spans approximately 8,400 m²—larger than a football field—and grows in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil.

Usage / Dosage

In ancient Mayan medicine, decoctions of cashew leaves or bark were used as astringents for treating diarrhea. Cultivated mainly for its nuts, cashew also provides a versatile fruit. In Europe and the Americas, cashew nuts (the roasted seeds) are the most familiar product, while the less-known cashew apple is consumed locally as fresh fruit, in jams, preserves, juices, and even fermented to produce alcoholic beverages like wine, rum, and vinegar. The pulp's taste is reminiscent of mango, and it is enjoyed both raw and in desserts, such as Antipolo (Philippines), turrones de casuy (marzipan-centered wafers in Pampanga), and bolo polana (potato–cashew cake in Mozambique and South Africa).

Cashew juice is popular in Brazil, and Panama’s dulce de marañón—made by slowly cooking cashew apples with sugar—remains a regional favorite. Even old or defective nuts are roasted for flavoring, used in dessert wines, or blended with cocoa for fine chocolate. The wood, considered "white mahogany," is utilized in furniture-making, while the shell oil is blended into insecticides and used for wood-preservation in India.

Cashews are an integral part of Indian cuisine, added whole or ground to sweets, sauces (like korma), and desserts (like kaju barfi). In Thailand and China, lightly cooked cashews are served in both savory and sweet dishes. In Southeast Asia, cashew nuts form a staple for digestive complaints and food intolerances.

Traditionally, cashew-based remedies have included the use of the nut’s oil, applied on calloused skin, skin ulcers, wounds, and warts (to aid the exfoliation process). In Peru, "casho" tea from cashew leaves is a popular household remedy for diarrhea, while bark decoctions are used topically as antiseptics. Cashew juice is also used as a diuretic and to ease discomfort in the lower abdomen for women. In Amazonia and Africa, as well as among the Tikuna and Wayapi peoples, tree preparations are used for colds, coughs, digestive issues, and parasitic diseases. Folk medicine in Brazil and various African nations values regular consumption of cashews as a way to reduce metabolic syndrome symptoms, high blood pressure, plasma free fatty acids, waist circumference, and BMI for those struggling with overweight or obesity.

Scientific studies have confirmed anti-inflammatory and astringent properties of cashew content (akin to acetylsalicylic acid), supporting its traditional use for diarrheal illnesses. Other studies highlight antibacterial and anti-ulcer activity, including effects against Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium linked to gastritis and gastric ulcers. Laboratory research also found cashew extracts have a protective effect on glucose levels in diabetes models, and may show activity against certain cancer cell types.

Cashews are a staple of North American herbalism, recommended in various forms for bronchitis, tonsillitis, colic, and diarrhea, chiefly for their antiseptic, astringent, antidysenteric, antibacterial, anti-ulcer, diuretic, hypotensive, tonic, and antipyretic actions. Their oil is used in traditional medicine in the Caribbean, Malaysia, and Mexico to address complaints from diabetes, oral ulcers, nasal inflammations, sweat, edema, ulcers, freckles, constipation, nausea, flu, and aphthous ulcers. Cashew is valued in Brazil as a remedy for syphilis, a diuretic, stimulant, and aphrodisiac; decoctions are also employed for mouth ulcers, tonsillitis, post-traumatic wound cleansing, diabetes, muscle weakness, urinary complaints, asthma, eczema, psoriasis, genitourinary infections, venereal disease, erectile dysfunction, bronchitis, colic, intestinal infections, and skin disorders linked to untreated infections. Folk medicine in Turkey recognizes cashews for mild food poisoning, overeating-related discomfort, and similar issues.

Topical uses include as a dermatological ingredient—cashew fruit extracts promote skin nourishment and remineralization, contribute to anti-ageing, and are featured in hair conditioners, shampoos, and body creams.

While allergy to cashew is less common than to walnuts or peanuts, it can lead to serious reactions, including life-threatening anaphylactic shock. People with kidney stones should exercise caution due to the oxalate content. For most people, cashews are safe in any quantity.

Active Compounds

100 grams of cashew nuts provide about 553 calories and substantial nutrients: 67% daily fat, 36% protein, 13% fiber, and 11% carbohydrates. Cashews are high in minerals such as copper, manganese, antimony, phosphorus, and magnesium, along with vitamin B6, thiamine, and vitamin K. They also contain iron, europium, hafnium, sodium, samarium, scandium, zinc, and selenium. The vitamin C content is five times that of oranges (weight-for-weight).

Other present compounds include esters, terpenoids, carboxylic acids, tannins, amino acids (alanine, histidine, leucine, isoleucine, proline, serine, phenylalanine), alpha-catechin, alpha-linolenic acid, palmitic acid, oleic acid, oxalic acid, linolenic acid, gallic acid, glucuronic acid, caprylic acid, hydroxybenzoic acid, stearic acid, lauric acid, myristic acid, glutamic acid, anacardol, limonene, derivatives of kaempferol, quercetin glycosides, leucocyanidin, leucopelargonidin, cardanol, anacardol, cardol, salicylic acid, naringenin, phytosterols, squalene, tannins, trans-hex-2-enal, tryptophan, hexanal, L-epicatechin, ginkgol, folacin, arabinose, and others.

Traditional Dosage

When dosing the leaves, twigs, or bark, quantity depends on factors such as age, health, and gender. In the case of cashew nuts, there are no specific restrictions, aside from the allergy and kidney stone considerations mentioned above.