Have you ever thought about how cashews grow? Hint: they don’t just come from a bag but they are grown on trees?! Amazing, right.
Cashew apples grow off the branches of a tree , scientifically called Anacardium
occidentale, and then the cashew seed grows from this cashew apple. This is considered a “false fruit” that does not come from the plant ovary and is used as a distraction in the natural world to protect the actual cashew seed.
The fruit is also brightly colored red or yellow, which helps to enhance its function.The actual cashew nut we eat is encapsulated in a shell that has a poisonous anacardic acid.
Cashews have to be treated at a high temperature, which removes this toxin, helps it open, and makes it safe to eat. Even though they are commonly called cashew “nuts” they are not really nuts but edible seeds!
