Macronutrients
- Source of protein
- Low in salt
- High in monounsaturated fat
Vitamins & Minerals
- High in Thiamine
- High in Potassium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Copper, Iron, Zinc and Manganese
- India
- Vietnam
- West Africa
- Brazil
- February and March in India, Asia
and Africa - October and November in
South America
There are a large number of varietals grown commercially, with different varieties preferred in different countries. Cashews have a complex number of commercial categorisations, very similar to almonds.
They may be categorised by colour, amount of scorch, splits, pieces, and ‘baby bits’; all of these are naturally produced during the shelling process.
Premium is the biggest sized whole nut, with a range of five smaller whole nut sizes going down in size below it.
- Whole
- Whole Roasted
- Whole Salted
- Pieces
The cashew shell contains a potent skin irritant. To extract the edible cashew kernel, the shell goes through a hot oil process, which creates a toxic cashew shell derivative that is used for industrial applications.
The heating process may sometimes leave a slight scorch mark on the cashew itself, affecting its grading.
