Inspirational Cashew Madness !!!

It seems over the past few weeks we have started to go a tad nutty. We have had facts around pistachio, pine nuts and now this week the most famous nut of them all which actually is not a nut - Can this actually get any stranger???

Join with us to blow our minds as we venture into the mystic world of the most deliciously bold flavoured, intriguing, and often overlooked fella which travels from faraway lands.

Let's all find out all that’s possibly ever needed to know about the trusty and often forgotten about - All welcome the Cashew !!!

Cashews grow out of “apples”- Wait, what?! The cashew is harvested as well as the apple-like fruit which is then used to make jams and juices. – Wowza

Cashews are seeds. Because they grow out of apples, they are technically a seed not a nut - why not take the word nut away and replace with seed it sounds way funkier !!!

Get ready for this one - Cashews may be found in your car. The cashew resin extracted from the green outer shell is used in industrial products such as brake liners and paints.

Originally native to north-eastern Brazil and introduced to the rest of the world by way of Goa, India, by the Portuguese in the 16th century, the cashew tree is now widely grown in tropical regions especially India, Vietnam and the Philippines amongst others.

Cashews can be harvested before they’re ripe, but at this point, the toxic shell is also quite corrosive. This means gloves are required to cut the soft shell with a knife to extract the still-green kernel, with the kernel then soaked in turmeric to get rid of the corrosive material before use.

Stories around the globe speak about evil spirits which hide out around the Cashew Apple tree making fruit poisonous unless treated. This evil spirit arrived when fruit was stolen by tribes deep in the Malaysia hillsides as they ventured forth to harvest the luscious nut like fruit to keep hunger at bay.

One day the tribe become severely ill and sudden death spread across the villages - this was linked to the evil spirits hiding out in the branches as they guarded their fruits forevermore.

If you ever see a Cashew Tree be mindful - it's much safer to get your Cashew fix from the many hundreds of kilo of seeds we keep on stock waiting for your every need.

Next week lets find out about Grapefruits - Inspired by Mr P Thornton and avid Refresh reader - watch This Space we are excited already !!!