Cashew in Brazil is next level!
I’ve always loved using cashew nuts for nut milks, icings, and even vegan cheese, but never actually knew what a cashew fruit looks like. Cashew nuts grow inside the seeds that hang from cashew apples. The fruit of a cashew tree has a stalk, and here in Brazil, they use all of it. The stalk of the fruit is used for making juices and sweets–you can literal order cashew juice! From the cashew nut you can also extract and make an edible oil, and from the roasted kernel a flour can be made. The false fruit sometimes called a cashew apple which is highly perishable and is high in vitamins A & C, can be eaten raw, cooked, or even used to make liquor.
If you are eating a high percentage of raw food, take care to eat a balanced amount of cashews or nuts in general to ensure the fat content of your diet isn’t too high. Cashew nuts are high in carbohydrates and low in fiber but packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants including vitamins E, K, and B-6, along with minerals like copper, phosphorus, zinc, magnesium, iron, and selenium.
References:
Silva, S., & Tassara, H. (1998). Fruit in Brazil. São Paulo, SP: Empresa das Artes.