Cashews

Cashew trees (Anacardium occidentale) are native to Brazil and are now grown in subtropical parts of India and in Sri Lanka. Their fruit grows in a curious way: as a curved nut on the bottom of an edible fruit known as a cashew apple. In the Subcontinent, cashew nuts are used in savory dishes, to thicken sauces, or as a flavoring, as well as in sweet dishes as a garnish. Cashews are sold in well-stocked grocery stores and in South Asian groceries. (They are always sold shelled because the shells are toxic.) Because the nuts are rich in oils, they should be stored well sealed in plastic, in the refrigerator or freezer.