Cashew Nuts

Cashew nut is made up of a fruit in which the kernel is embedded. The real fruit of the cashew is commonly a nut. It is a kidney- or heart-shaped achene, in any normal variety. Its color varies from bottle green to grayish brown (dried fruit). It is attached to the end of a fleshy footstalk or peduncle, which is in fact the receptacle of the flower, that is, broadened and swollen, and forms the false fruit. The nut is composed of kernel and pericarp or shell. The kernel is slightly curved back on itself and forms two cotyledons, representing about 20–25% of the nuts weight. It is wrapped in a thin, difficult to remove peel (testa), reddish-brown membrane, which in turn approximates to 5% of the whole nut. Cashew is of considerable economic importance because its components have numerous uses. The annual production of cashew nuts (with shells) is the highest of all tree nuts, with a value of more than 3.5 million tons. Cashew nut, native to Brazil, was introduced about two centuries ago to the Goa region of India, which became one of the major producers of cashew nuts, accounting for almost 50% of the total world export. Operations involved in the processing of cashew kernels are basically cooking; drying; cutting; decortication; peeling; classification; frying, in the case of roasted almonds; and packaging.