Cashew AncardiaAnacardiaceae occidentaleTheresa Elder

04/17/13

Anacardiaceae occidentale

Related to American poison ivy and poison sumac as well as mango and pistachio

Anacardium “upward heart” refers to fruit

Other names Tupi acaju and Portuguese caju, marañon in Spanish

Morphology Large evergreen tree 10-14m tall irregular shaped trunk

Flowers are in a panicle up to 26cm long, there are 5 acute slender petals mixed male, female, and both male and female

The actual fruit is the nut or drupe cashew seed, surrounded by a double shell, green turns red

Between shells is oil chemically related to urushiol

A second false fruit, pseudocarp, known as the cashew apple is developed from the swollen stem; yellow, orange or red 5-11cm long

The cashew apple is edible

Geography of Cultivation

Native to Northeast Brazil

16th century Portuguese traders introduced to Goa, India as soil retainer

Spread to NE Asia, Africa, and near by islands

Also grown in coastal US states

Some areas cultivate apple while others

Features of cultivation

Grown in subtropical and tropical climates

Tolerates poor soil, drought, and salt air

Prefers high humidity

3 years from planting to cultivation

Features of cultivationCashew nut (drupe)

Fruits picked by hand or fall together

Nuts are sun dried then roasted outdoors or in roasting cylinders

Inner shells broken by hand heated again to remove skin

Cashew apple

Fragile skin unsuitable to transport

Perishable: yeast and fungi species

Can be eaten raw

Fruit pressure steamed before being candied or made into juice, jams, chutneys, and alcohol due to tannins

Nutrition and medical uses 1cashew nut & tree

Common snack food and used Indian, Thai, Chinese, Mozambique and other country cuisine

Oil is topical antifungal, antiseptic. Kills worms

Ground seeds antivenom for snake bites

Cashew nutshell liquid treat tooth abscesses

Bark soaked or boiled as antidiarrheal

Gum used as varnish

Wood used in construction

54% fats and oils

Rich in Anacardic acid

Rich in vitamin C and mineral salts treats premature aging

Nutrition and medical uses 2Cashew apple

5x more vitamin C than orange

Digestive disorders

Fever reducer

Gargle for sore throat

In Brazil, relieve pains/ aches from neurasthenia & arthritis

Stimulates brain and memory

Said to increase resistance to venereal diseases

Enhanced fat oxidation during exercise and endurance performance

Tikuna: influenza, relieve warts, 3 antitumor compounds

Cajueiro de Pirangi

World’s largest cashew tree covers and area of 7,500 m² in Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil

References

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii108/7_Heads/Fruit%20Trees/Cashew_Nuts_fruit_1.jpg

http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cashew

http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/cashew_apple.html

http://cashewyjuice.com/english/aboutus.html

http://www.jissn.com/content/10/1/13/

http://www.phukethealthshop.com/2011/01/10/concentrated-cashew-apple-juice-thailand/

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/97939/cashew

http://belizeplants.blogspot.com/

References 2

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maior_cajueiro_do_mundo

http://www.natal-brazil.com/entertainment/cashew-tree.html

http://listsoplenty.com/blog/?p=10749

http://www.hobotraveler.com/2008-0041-Cashew-Nut.shtml

http://depositphotos.com/12692011/stock-photo-Cashew-nut-tree.html

http://www.treepicturesonline.com/cashew_tree_pictures.html

http://www.goquangphuc.com/en/product/cashew-wood.html

http://www.21food.com/products/raw-cashew-nut-377802.html