How are cashew nuts grown? Cashew nuts are the seeds which develop at the end of cashew fruit. Anacardium occidentale, commonly known as the cashew tree, is a tropical tree that bears the cashew seed and the cashew apple. Cashew tree is cultivated primarily cashew nuts and fruits and its nuts, as most of us are aware, are a well-liked healthy snack low in sugar content and high in fibre, healthy fats and protein.
What are cashews?
Cashews are a seed of cashew tree, which is a tropical evergreen tree that may reach the height of 46 feet. The fruit, known as the cashew apple, that looks like a bell pepper is a false fruit. A deceptionist, the actual fruit is hanging at the bottom of the cashew apple and locking in itself a solitary seed which we call a cashew nut
An astonishing number of the most popular nuts, believe it or not, do not qualify to be a botanical nut, such as peanuts that are legumes, and almonds and walnuts which are drupes.
How are cashew nuts grown?
The cashew tree happened to be indigenous to Northwestern Brazil but explorers have taken them to all parts of the globe. The two leading cashew nut producers today are the Ivory Coast and India which are closely followed by Burundi, Vietnam and the Philippines. It takes approximately three years before newly planted cashew trees produce their first fruit and a majority of growers have to wait eight years before they get a complete commercial harvest. Mature cashew trees will bear fruit every year and will be ready to harvest during the period of February to May.
Cashew nuts are totally natural, satisfying and healthy snacks. But how do they arise? Cashew nuts are the fruit of the cashew tree, an exotic tree which is now widespread in most regions of the world but which is native to Brazil, India and South East Asia -in these regions the tree can grow and develop in a tropical climate.
The cashew growing starts with cashew tree (anacardium occidentale) that bears cashew apple -hanging on the branch, and cashew seed-hanging on the apple. Cashew apple is botanically known as an accessory fruit (or false fruit) and differs with real fruit in that the cashew apple is not developed by the ovary of the plant. In colour it is reddish yellow and about three times the size of the cashew shells.
Harvesting of cashew apple is done and the locals prepare jams, curries and juice. Although the cashew apple is edible and with a very sweet flavour, it possesses a thin skin making it very perishable and hence very hard to transport. The cashew industry, therefore, largely deals with the seed of the tree, which are the cashew nuts.
The cashew apple has cashew nut shells at its bottom and both of them develop completely during the dry season. As far as harvesting cashew nuts is concerned, they are twisted and taken off the apples -mostly by hands. When they are over ripe, the nuts will come off by themselves and fall off the ground.
The cashew thick shell encloses the edible meat and is a highly concentrated form of a toxic and life threatening substance known as anacardic acid. High temperature roasting of cashew nuts eliminates this compound and causes the shells of the cashew nuts to open up, exposing the edible nut. The last thing is to remove those shells and gather the cream-coloured kidney-shaped nuts which we all know.
Why are Vietnamese cashews considered the “Best in the World”?
Cashews represent one of the major agricultural exports of Vietnam and this has entitled the country membership of the “Billion-dollar agricultural export Club.” Over the decades, Vietnam has been able to retain its top position as the chief exporter of cashew kernels in the world.
| Vietnamese cashews | Foreign cashews | |
| Category Appearance | Relatively small, slightly curved, round and plump.Firm, dense, with minimal hollowness, resistant to breaking.Smooth, dark brown skin without wrinkles. | Larger, more curved, slimmer body. Deeply hollow, fragile and easy to break. Light brown skin with visible wrinkles. |
| Colour | Milky white or slightly ivory, evenly coloured | White, greenish-white or pale yellow, unevenly coloured |
| Flavour | Exceptionally crisp and crunchy.No rancid taste, sweet and rich aftertaste.Stays crispy for long when roasted with skin intact.Retains its distinct aroma throughout all processing stages. | Soft and crumbly. Slightly sour with limited richness and nuttiness.Skin peels off partially when roasted, reducing flavor.May develop a sharp, sour smell during moistening. |
A small nation that was a producer of raw cashew nuts to the largest exporter of cashew kernels in the past 30 years. Vietnam cashew kernel has been exported to more than 90 countries and territories, with over 80 percent of world cashew nut exports.
Vietnam has the privileges of having a tropical climate as well as fertile soil. Besides this, Vietnam is a nation whose agriculture is developed, has the experience and favourable conditions to grow and the expertise of the people is also high. As such, they can be able to produce quality cashews which will provide the consumers with quality cashews that are not only tasty but also the most healthy.
Where to buy cashew nuts in Vietnam?
In Vietnam the Cashew harvest season begins very early, at the end of January or February and continues through to May or June, depending on weather conditions and the planting techniques. Harvest season of cashew, cashew nut season in Vietnam:
- Start of the season: January, February
- Harvest time: May, June.
In Vietnam, there are well-known cashew growing locations, which include Binh Phuoc, Dong Nai, Binh Duong. But there will be various qualities and characteristics. In case you are interested in purchasing the cashew nuts of special standards, you may refer to Vihaba – the trusted address in Vietnam to sell cashews.
Greatfoods is a company that most people prefer to purchase quality organic cashews. Why would you purchase cashews with Greatfoods?
Greatfoods believes in quality production and supply of cashews. All of our products are cultivated in an organic environment with no dangerous chemicals, pesticides or fertilizers. This will make sure that you are taking a product that is natural and safe to your health.
Quality is our top-most priority. Our cashews are hand picked and go through a rigorous quality control process so that you get the best cashews. This high quality is converted into good taste and best nutrition.
Greatfoods goes green in the process of producing organic cashews by implementing the following environmental friendly practices, organic farming, reduction of wastes and use of renewable sources of energy.
Also, we work closely with smallholder farmers to grow and harvest organic cashews. This is used in generating fair chances to the farmers and to make the production of cashew sustainable.
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