Cashew, (Anacardium occidentale), evergreen shrub
or tree of the sumac family (Anacardiaceae), cultivated
for its characteristically curved edible seeds, which are commonly called
cashew “nuts” though they are not true nuts. The domesticated cashew tree is
native to the New World but commercially cultivated mainly in Vietnam, Brazil and India. The seeds, rich in oil
and distinctively flavored, are commonly used in South and Southeast Asian
cuisine and are a characteristic ingredient of numerous chicken and vegetarian
dishes of southern India. In Western countries they are eaten mainly as a
premium-quality protein-rich
snack food.
The cashew nut, often simply called a cashew, is widely
consumed. It is eaten on its own, used in recipes, or processed into cashew
cheese or cashew butter. The shell of the cashew seed
yields derivatives that can be used in many applications including lubricants,
waterproofing, paints, and arms production, starting in World War II. The cashew apple is a light reddish to yellow fruit,
whose pulp can be processed into a sweet, astringent
fruit drink or distilled into liquor.