What is a cashew apple?
By Chelsie Vandaveer
October 16, 2003
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The cashew (Anacardium occidentale Linnaeus) is a broadleaf evergreen tree native to the Neotropics (tropical Americas). The cashew is a member of the Anacardiaceae, the family of sumacs and poison ivy. Like other members of its family, the cashew causes painful rashes and even severe allergic reactions from handling the plant parts.
The cashew blooms with terminal panicles of small five-petaled white flowers. The flowers change color aging to a pale pinkish yellow. The true cashew fruit is a hard reniform (kidney-shaped) shell containing a single seed, the so-called cashew nut. The hard walled cells of the fruit are filled with a caustic resin, anacardic acid. ("Anacardic acid", The Merck Index, Merck & Co. Inc. Rahway, NJ, 1989)
Anacardic acid is a phenol closely related to urushiol, the toxin found in poison ivy. When the shell is cracked, the resin is released. This resin protects the seed from predation. It is also thought to prevent oxidation which would chemically degrade the oily cotyledons (seed leaves) and embryo plant.
The cashew has a secondary, but not true, fruit called the cashew apple. The cashew apple is the receptacle, the portion of the pedicel (flower stem) where the nut is now attached. When the true fruit is fully grown, the receptacle swells becoming fleshy. The cashew apple and the nut ripen at the same time and fall from the tree. "(Cashew Apple", Fruits of Warm Climates, J. Morton, 1987)
In the past, neither the apples nor the nuts were harvested until on the ground. Native Americans and early settlers ate the ripe cashew apples and usually discarded the cashew nuts. The cashew seed was difficult (and painful) to remove from the resin-laden shell. Now, modern machinery separates the shells from the seeds. The seeds then should be roasted or steamed to destroy any remaining toxin.
The Rural Industries Research & Development Corporation of Australia has an informative article on cashews with some great photographs of the tree and the cashew apple and nut as they grow on the tree. To view the article, click on the link:
http://www.rirdc.gov.au/champions/cashewsaust.html
Allow time for the article to download and scroll through to view all the photographs.
killerPlants Tendrils: ~~1~~2~~3~~4~~5~~
Suggested Reading:
How did the Brazil nut tree get its name? What's in a Name? - May 3, 2002
Betel nuts, children, adults, and dogs Plants that Changed History - October 21, 2003
What was the drunken date palm? Herbal Folklore - December 29, 2003
What palm produces ivory? Weird Plants - May 13, 2004
What is a nutmeg? Weird Plants - November 27, 2003
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