History Of The Cashew

The word cashew comes from the Tupi-Indian word Acaju, which means “nut”. Instead of growing like conventional nuts, they grow out of the base of cashew apples like little tails. However, for this reason, they are the only ‘nut’ that is sold without a shell. The outer shell causes skin irritation.

The seed has a double shell containing an allergenic phenolic resin containing an anacardic acid. This composition is a potent skin irritant. Chemically, this resin is related to the more well-known allergenic oil urushiol, a toxin in poison ivy. Some people are allergic to cashew nuts. More commonly, people are allergic to the outer coating on the fruit’s skin.

Europeans first discovered the cashew in Brazil around 1558. Because of the irritating shells, they were initially thought to be inedible. Over time, people realized it was the fruit skin, not the irritating seeds. The local native tribe, the Tupi-Indians, showed the Europeans otherwise. Consequently, the Portuguese learned how to roast the cashews to remove the irritant.

Europeans found cashew seeds quite tasty. However, they also used the cashew apple pulp to make wine. The natives had learned to eat cashews from the local capuchin monkeys. The primates used primitive tools to break the shells off and throw the nuts away.

The Modern History Of The Cashew

As a consequence of finding out how to reach the cashew seed, the Portuguese brought cashews to Goa in about 1560. Ultimately, the nut thrived in the new climate and soon traveled to India. Indians discovered the nut’s healing properties, and cashews became very popular. In the second half of the 16th century, cashews spread to Southeast Asia and Africa. Eventually, many countries and cultures currently depend on cashew seeds as a food staple and for commerce.

The modern history of the cashew shows that it reached the United States around 1905. Afterward, cashews became popular in the mid-1920s when the General Food Corporation began shipping them regularly to the United States and Europe. Ultimately, the cashew became popular. By 1941, annual imports from India totaled 20,000 tons of cashews.