Have you ever snacked on a handful of cashews and wondered where they actually come from? I used to imagine them growing in neat little shells, just like peanuts or almonds. But the truth about where cashews come from is way more fascinating—and a little unexpected.
🌳 The Surprising Plant Behind Cashews
Cashews grow on the cashew tree (Anacardium occidentale), a tropical evergreen native to Brazil.
Instead of hiding inside the fruit like most nuts, cashews grow outside of it!
Here’s how it works:
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The tree produces a pear-shaped fruit called the cashew apple.
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Attached to the bottom of the apple is a hard, kidney-shaped shell.
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Inside that shell is the cashew seed we eat.
And no—you can’t just pop the shell open and eat it raw. The shell contains toxic oils that need to be carefully removed during processing.
🍎 What Is a Cashew Apple?
The cashew apple is bright yellow or red, juicy, and sweet-tart in flavor. Even though it looks like the fruit, it’s technically a swollen stem (called a pedicel).
Some interesting facts about cashew apples:
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They spoil quickly, so they’re rarely exported.
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In Brazil, they’re eaten fresh or made into juice, jams, or even liquor.
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The juice is rich in vitamin C—more than oranges!
It’s like nature gave us two snacks in one: a tropical fruit and a seed.
⚠️ Why Cashews Are Never Sold in Shells
Unlike peanuts or walnuts, cashews are never sold raw in their shells. That’s because the shell contains urushiol, the same irritant found in poison ivy.
Handling or eating it could cause burns and rashes.
The safe process involves:
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Roasting or steaming the shells to destroy toxins.
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Removing the delicate seed inside by hand or with specialized tools.
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Drying and sometimes roasting again before packaging.
So yes—every cashew you eat has gone through a lot of work before it reaches your snack bowl.
🌍 Where Cashews Grow Today
Even though they started in Brazil, cashews now grow in many warm, tropical regions:
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India
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Vietnam
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Nigeria
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Ivory Coast
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The Philippines
Vietnam and India are currently among the world’s largest exporters, with millions of tons processed each year.
🥜 Are Cashews Really Nuts?
Technically, no. Cashews are seeds, not true nuts. True nuts (like hazelnuts or chestnuts) grow inside a hard shell that’s part of the fruit. Cashews grow outside their fruit, which makes them more like pistachios or almonds botanically speaking.
✨ Quick Fun Facts About Cashews
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Cashew shells are sometimes used to make industrial products like brake linings and waterproof coatings.
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Cashew trees can live up to 30–40 years.
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The largest cashew tree in the world is in Brazil—it’s the size of a football field!
My Take on Cashews
Honestly, I’ve loved cashews since I was a kid, but I never imagined they had such a strange origin story. Learning about the toxic shells made me appreciate the hard work behind every little piece. Now, whenever I snack on them, I feel like I’m eating something that traveled a long, careful journey to get to me.
Cashews are far from ordinary—they grow outside their fruit, hide behind toxic shells, and travel from tropical farms to our kitchens. The next time you grab a handful, you’ll know exactly where cashews come from and why they’re so unique. Have you ever tried a cashew apple or seen a cashew tree in person? I’d love to hear your story in the comments.