The tree cashew (Anacardium occidentale) belongs to the flowering plant family Anacardiaceae. It is necessary to say, the tree and nuts growing on it are champions by quantity of the names given. They were mentioned as kazhu, and akazhu, and anacard, as Indian nut, and nut-gall. For the first time this unusual plant was found in Amazon. The Indians called this nut kazhu, which meant “yellow fruit" and it was their favourite delicacy. The foreigners, who have reached up to Amazon, also have appreciated flavouring qualities of these nuts, and in 16th century begun to cultivate them in South-eastern countries of Asia and in Africa.
Depending on a climate of that district, where grows cashew nut, this tree blossoms from 1 up to 3 times in one year. Multiple green flowers settling down on the twigs ends are assembled in inflorescences, which then form from 3 up to 5 fruits in the fruit stems. Nut has a dark and very hard coat. That is why the nuts in the beginning are dried on the sun, and then tempering on metal sheets. It is necessary also because in wet way the coat of this nut contains caustic oil - cardoil, causing strong burns of a skin accompanied with bubbles that is why cashew nut is called bubble nut. Especially for this reason the cashew nuts are never sold in a coat.
As an auxiliary substance these nuts are used in case of tooth pain, psoriasis, dystrophy, infringements of exchange processes, anaemia, and also in deficiency of vitamins A, B1, B2.
100g contain: Fat – 42.2 g Proteins – 17.5 g Carbohydrates – 30.5 g Mineral substances – 2.9 g Vitamins – 4.15 mg Energy – 542 kcal