![]() Native to the northeast coast of Brazil, cashew was domesticated long before the arrival of Europeans at the end of the fifteenth century. Cashew nuts must be cleaned to remove the cardol and then roasted or boiled to remove the toxins before they can be eaten. The nut kernel inside is covered with an inner shell, and between the two shells is a thick, caustic, and toxic oil called cardol. It grows externally in its own kidney-shaped hard shell at the end of this pseudo-fruit, or peduncle. The cashew nut is defined botanically as the fruit. It is very perishable, however therefore, no fresh cashew fruit is exported into the United States or Europe from South America. The pseudo-fruit, a large pulpy and juicy part, has a fine sweet flavor and is commonly referred to as the "cashew fruit" or the "cashew apple." Fresh or frozen cashew fruit concentrate is as common a juice product in South American food stores as orange juice is in the United States. Then, there is the pseudo-fruit-a swollen peduncle that grows behind the real fruit that yields the cashew nut. Even the shell oil around the nut is used medicinally and has industrial applications in the plastics and resin industries for its phenol content. The bark and leaves of the tree are used medicinally, and the cashew nut has international appeal and market value as a food. The cashew tree produces many resources and products. Cashew trees are often found growing wild on the drier sandy soils in the central plains of Brazil and are cultivated in many parts of the Amazon rainforest. It has a thick and tortuous trunk with branches so winding that they frequently reach the ground. The following text has been reprinted from: The Healing Power of Rainforest Herbs © 2005 by Leslie TaylorĬashew is a multipurpose tree of the Amazon that grows up to 15 m high. ![]() Common Names: Cajueiro, cashew, cashu, casho, acajuiba, caju, acajou, acaju, acajaiba, alcayoiba, anacarde, anacardier, anacardo, cacajuil, cajou, gajus, jocote maranon, maranon, merey, noix d'acajou, pomme cajou, pomme, jambu, jambu golok, jambu mete, jambu monyet, jambu terong Parts Used: Leaves, bark, fruit, nut
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