Did you know that Cashew, a nut from the tropical evergreen tree is India’s favourite dry fruit with 170,000-195,000 MT of annual production and ranking first in the world in production, originally native to Northeastern Brazil and Southeastern Venezuela, was brought to India by the Portuguese to Goa in mid 1550s?

Cashew, known by the botanical name Anacardium occidentale in the Anacardiaceae family, also called Vrikkaphala in Sanskrit, a product of the tropical evergreen Cashew Tree, is a kidney-shaped seed or nut, one of the most delicious nuts around the world. The versatile cashew tree produces the cashew seed or nut and the cashew apple accessory fruit. The cashew seed is commonly considered a snack nut (cashew nut) 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. In India, Cashew nuts are used mostly in desserts and traditional preparations to enhance their taste. 

In etmology, Cashew nut, an English name, is derived from the Portuguese name for the fruit of the cashew tree: caju (Portuguese pronunciation: also known as acaju, which itself is from the Tupi-Indian word Acaju, literally meaning "nut that produces itself".

This species, intially native to Northeastern Brazil and Southeastern Venezuela got distributed around the world in the 1500s by Portuguese explorers. Between 1560 and 1565, Portuguese colonists who began exporting cashew nuts brought it to Goa, India From where it spread throughout Southeast Asia, and eventually Africa. India has been maintaining the lead in cashew nut as well as cashew kernel production in the world with production ranging between 170,000 and 195,000 MT annually. Other countries producing cashew nuts are Ivory Coast, Mozambique, Tanzania, Braziil and Philippines. Nurtured in India, Cashew is now cultivated in 17 states of the country with the state of Kerala leading in its production; most of the cashew factories are small and in cottage sector.

In Indian vernacular langauges, Cashew Tree is known as: Gaeru, Gaeru beeja, Gaeru kaayi, Godambi mara in Kannada; Kaju, Kaju-ki-gutli in Hindi; Kapa-mava, Kapamava, Kappa-mavakuru in Malayalam; Andima, Andimangottai, Munthri-kottei in Tamil; Jaedima-midi, Jeedimaamidi, Jidi mamidi, Jidi-mamidi-vittu in Telugu; Agnikrita, Arushkara, Guchhapushpa, Kajutah, Kajutaka, Vrkkaphalah in Sanskrit. 

The tropical evergreen crop, also grown in coastal area, the cashew tree, grows in 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. It is known to have about 60 genera and 400 species. The tree grows rapidly up to 20 m, but usually reaches 8-12 m height. Mature trees need about 30 feet distance between them and they grow to 40 feet tall, and can be pruned to a desired height to get to it's fruits. The tree blooms with flowers 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 flower produces a soft, shiny and juicy fruit, known as cashew apple with a light reddish to yellow colour, which bears a single-seeded nut in its bottom covered with a hard grey shell (growing out of the base of cashew apples like little tails). This nut is the cashew, most valued product. 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 true fruit, the nut of the cashew tree, is a kidney– or boxing-glove–shaped drupe that grows at the end of the cashew apple. The nut remains firmly attached to the apple and consequently the bulk of the harvest consists of the cashew apples. 

Mode of propagation of cashew tree is through seeds, cuttings, and layering. Wild Birds and bats which are attracted to cashew apples help in propogation of its seeds. Especially the fruit bats carry them off and drop the left overs.

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 mature cashew apple can also be eaten fresh, cooked in curries, or fermented into vinegar, as well as an alcoholic drink.

Cashew nut oil is a dark yellow oil derived from pressing the cashew nuts (typically from lower value broken chunks created accidentally during processing), and is used for cooking or as a salad dressing. The highest quality oil is produced from a single cold pressing. Cashew nutshell liquid (CNSL) or cashew shell oil is a natural resin with a yellowish sheen found in the honeycomb structure of the cashew nutshell, and is a byproduct of processing cashew nuts. In some countries its bark is used tom produce a yellow dye. Its timber is used in boat-making, and for house-boards, and the wood makes excellent charcoal. The shells yield a black oil used as a preservative and water-proofing agent in varnishes, cements, and as a lubricant or timber seal. Its juice turns black on exposure to air, providing an indelible ink.

Discarded cashew nuts unfit for human consumption, alongside the residues of oil extraction from cashew kernels, are used to feed livestock. Animals also eat the leaves of cashew tree. 

The nut contains 45% fat and 20% protein. Leaves contain flavonoids, mainly glycosides of quercetin and kaempferol, and hydroxybenzoic acid. The bark contains a balsam-containing anacardic acid, anacardol, cardol and ginkgol. The caustic liquid in the shell contains about 39% anacardic acid, a mixture of alkyl salicylic acid derivatives. 

In a 100-gram serving, raw cashews provide 553 Calories, 67% of the Daily Value (DV) in total fats, 36% DV of protein, 13% DV of dietary fiber and 11% DV of carbohydrates.

Cashew nuts medicianal uses are as a cure for diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol, skin problems, stomach and intestinal (gastrointestinal) ailments, and other conditions. Scientists have validated Cashew tree as an antidote to snake venoms.Since cashews are a powerhouse of zinc, selenium, magnesium, phosphorus and other nutrients, they are very beneficial for healthy and glowing skin.

The Cashew Export Promotion Council of India (CEPCI) is the nodal agency for promoting exports of Cashew Kernel and its allied products. 

Baenefits of cashew nuts are widely publicized as: Boosts Immune System, an excellent source of Antioxidants, has low Cholesterol, and lowers risk of Gallstones.

Narasipur Char