Cashews

Cashews (/'kaʃu:/)

The Cashew (Anacardium occidentale) is a tropical evergreen tree that produces the cashew seed and the cashew apple. It can grow as high as 14 m (46 ft), but the dwarf cashew, growing up to 6 m (20 ft), has proved more profitable, with earlier maturity and higher yields.

Etymology

The name "cashew" comes from the Portuguese word caju, which in turn, is derived from the indigenous South American Tupian word acajú, meaning "nut that produces itself".

Description

The cashew tree is large and evergreen, growing up to 14 m (46 ft) tall, with a short, often irregularly shaped trunk. The leaves are spirally arranged, leathery textured, elliptic to obovate, 4–22 cm (1.6–8.7 in) long and 2–15 cm (0.79–5.91 in) broad, with smooth margins.

Cashew Seed

The cashew seed is often considered a nut in the culinary sense; this cashew nut is eaten on its own, used in recipes, or processed into cashew cheese or cashew butter. Like the tree, the nut is often simply called cashew.

Cashew Apple

The cashew apple is a light reddish to yellow fruit, whose pulp can be processed into a sweet, astringent fruit drink or distilled into liquor.

Health Benefits

Cashews are rich in vitamin C, vitamin E, magnesium, iron, zinc, and phosphorus. They are also a good source of protein and dietary fiber.

Related Terms

• Anacardium occidentale
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin E
• Magnesium
• Iron
• Zinc
• Phosphorus
• Protein
• Dietary fiber

External links

• Medical encyclopedia article on Cashews
• Wikipedia's article - Cashews

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