Cashew Nuts

Native to Brazil, cashew nuts are encased in kidney-shaped hard shells and develop inside fruit called cashew apples. Each apple only produces one nut and, when the nut is ripe, the nut and shell protrude below the fruit. Removing the cashew nut from the shell is a slow and laborious task as the shells contain a caustic oil known as ‘cashew balm’, which is highly toxic and can irritate the skin and eyes. The whole nuts are removed from the apples and heated before the nut can be safely extracted.