Written By Sam Henselijn
Cashews are highly nutritious fruits, with the apple being the fleshy part while the nut is the seed. While many people enjoy this fantastic fruit, the abundance of them in several countries makes some people wonder: Where do cashews come from?
They originate precisely from northeastern Brazil and southeastern Venezuela in South America. Still, they are currently primarily grown in India, East Africa, and other warm climates. The tree is a tropical evergreen tree. The name is from the Portuguese name for the tree fruit called caju. The botanical name is Anacardium occidentale.
This article will analyze several aspects surrounding cashews to give you vital information about cashews.
Are Cashews Nuts?
Cashews are not nuts, even though most people consider them
nuts. The confusion is that cashews have the same varying culinary and nutritional as other actual nuts such as chestnuts and hazelnuts.
They contain a healthy amount of fats and protein. Therefore, they are sometimes substituted with other nuts when cooking, baking, and roasting. These meals include stir-fries, nut butter, and trail mix.
They are drupes – fruits with a fleshy body with a shell covering its seed inside. The seed is also consumable. Many of the sources we call nuts are not nuts – they are seeds of drupes such as cashews, almonds, pecans, and walnuts.
Are Cashews Healthy?
Cashews are healthy drupes. They contain several nutrients such as protein, fiber, magnesium, calories, copper, iron, zinc, vitamin K, vitamin B6, phosphorus, thiamine, carbs, selenium, fat, and manganese. As a result, they can improve one’s overall health, making them suitable for many dishes. In addition, they contain nutrients that will enhance the heart, lead to weight loss, and higher blood sugar control.
Can You Eat Cashew Fruit?
The raw cashews are not safe to eat because they contain a toxic substance in poison ivy called urushiol. The kernels need heating to remove the toxins before they can be eaten. However, you can eat them alone, blended with cashew butter, or made into a dairy-free cream for ice cream, soups, and sauces.
The trees take years to produce fruit, and their fruits become ripe when they turn from green to yellow or red. The fleshy part, cashew apples, can be eaten raw without causing the body any harm. Meanwhile, they are gray.
The sign that the apples are ripe is when they begin to fall from trees. However, they are highly perishable, so you must eat them before they start to spoil.
How are Cashews Grown?
The answer to the question “where do cashews come from?” is
closely associated with their cultivation as they grow in areas with a warm climate. The steps to successfully growing your tree are simple. First, you must sow the cashew seed or plant a growing young cashew tree. The seeds you select must be fresh to ensure germination.
The trees take a long time to grow – precisely 4 – 5 years – before it begins to bring fruit. You can buy a potted tree from any garden to quicken the growing process. Expose your tree fully to the sun. They need at least 6 hours daily direct sunlight to help the tree grow well. When they have excess shade, they produce lesser cashew seeds.
The trees grow better on sandy soil with an average pH level of about 6. You must not use clay or dense soils because they do not retain excess water. The trees grow best in soil that drains well.
Ensure you water the tree according to the season. For example, it would be best to water the plant well in the summer and lesser in the winter. The soil must dry properly during watering because overwatering harms the tree.
The trees need fertilization – a phosphorus-rich fertilizer is safe to use monthly during growth. Then, add a layer of organic or compost mulch to create an extra nutrient boost. First, however, you must prevent pests from accessing the tree. Borer pests cause serious havoc on cashew trees, causing swollen stems, even as early as the seedling stage. You can prune the infested branches or use bark spray to prevent borer problems.
Are Cashews A Fruit?
Yes, cashews are classified as fruits. They are round and shiny with juice. The cashew nut is the actual fruit and is drupes. The fleshy part is usually yellow or red and is mostly round in shape.
Conclusion
The answer to “where do cashews come from” is entirely in this educative article. Cashews are healthy fruits that grow better in areas with a warm temperature. They begin producing fruits 4 – to 5 years after planting.
Sam Henselijn Author’s Biography – Meet L’Orenta Nuts CEO
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