Cashew | Cashew Nut – Anacardium occidentale
Cashew, Anacardium occidentale, is an evergreen, tropical fruit bearing tree, very frost sensitive, indigenous to north-eastern Brazil. The Cashew is a small tree growing about 10-12 meters tall, with a short, frequently irregularly formed trunk. It is widely grown in tropical climates for its cashew seeds and cashew apples.
Anacardium occidentale leaves are spirally staged, leathery and elliptic to obovate in shape, 4 to 22 cm long and 2 to 15 cm wide, with a smooth edge. The flowers are produced in branched clusters up to 26 cm long; each flower is small, light green at first then becoming reddish, with five slender, pointed petals, 7 to 15 mm long.
Cashew Fruit and Nuts
Cashew Apple, the fruit of the cashew tree is a rounded or pear-shaped accessory fruit or false fruit that arises from the receptacle of the cashew flower called the cashew apple. The cashew apple matures into a yellow or red structure about 5-11 cm long. It is edible, very juicy and has a potent sweet smell and a sweet taste. It has a very fine and fragile skin. The cashew apple is also used to make Feni popular liquor by fermentation.
The real fruit of the cashew tree is a kidney shaped drupe that grows at the end of the cashew apple. The drupe grows first on the tree, and then the peduncle enlarges into the false fruit. Inside the true fruit is a single seed the cashew nut. Cashew apples and cashew nuts are excellent source of nutrition.
The nut is walled by a double shell containing a Phenolic resin, anacardic acid, a powerful skin irritant. The cashew nut is a popular snack and it is frequently consumed on its own, lightly salted or sugared, once the shell that surrounds the nut has been removed.
Cashew Propagation Methods
Tree propagation is by seed (nuts). Nuts germinate within 4 days when lying on wet soil. Seedling trees flower in the third year after planting. However, propagation by grafting or air layering will guarantee the best production and quality. Cashew Trees that are early bearers and grow vigorously are chosen. Anacardium occidentale is a member of the family Anacardiaceae the genus Anacardium, widely grown in tropical climates for its Cashew nuts and Cashew apples.
Cashew, Anacardium occidentale
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