General Description/History

• cashew trees are native to Brazil, where they are called ‘caju’
• now widely cultivated in tropical regions
• the fruits are also eaten, or juiced and have a beautiful nutty flavour
• fruits are very short-lived, however, so are only available close to areas of production in the tropics
• Vietnam is now the major cashew nut producer, and most if not all of Australia’s supplies come from there
• each fruit contains a single nut, which is contained in a dark green shell
• these shells contain a potent skin irritant, so are removed during processing; the toxin is not present in the nuts
• all cashews are cooked prior to sale; even ‘raw’ nuts have been cooked, but not roasted
• cashews have a high oil content, and are mostly eaten raw, or used in cooking
• Available: all year round

Season: Summer,Autumn,Winter,Spring

Botanical Name: Anacardium occidentale

Alternative Names: 

Availablity: January,February,March,April,May,June,July,August,September,October,November,December

Growing Areas: