Community Chat

[KingstonsMom]

The internet made people a little bit more aware of where their nuts come from after one woman shared a picture of how cashews actually grow — and it has left Twitter users in shock. 

On Wednesday, California-based YouTuber Colleen Ballinger, 32, tweeted about how she had just discovered that cashew nuts actually grow on cashew trees out of the bottom of cashew apples.

'Doesn't it change your whole perspective of buying a container of them at Costco? Madness,' the Twitter user wrote. 

Pictures showing cashews on trees sparked an interest from people online to learn more about where their favorite nut comes from, and it was discovered it isn't even a true nut. 

Cashews are actually seeds that grow from a tree, which are native to Brazil. Although it originated in Brazil, the Portuguese later took the tree to India where it started to grow there as well as other parts of Southeast Asia. 

They grow in a shell that is then attached at the bottom of the cashew apple. People will pick the entire apple and then remove the cashew for consumption.

Although the cashew apple is relatively unknown, people are able to consume the fruit if they would like. 

It is said to have a more bitter taste compared to that of an apple or other fruit.

  

[panda1234]

@KingstonsMom @Thanks for posting, very interesting.

[Veridoc]

These are my favorite. Thanks for sharing this. Now I know why they cost so much. We learn something new every day.

[Bri369]

That's interesting.  I didn't know that.

No wonder they're so expensive...

[x Hedge]

  hi @KingstonsMom .

Nice photo!

Anyone here ever use the apple-type portion of the plant?

I've found that people who've never grown a bit of their own food are always somewhat surprised at the process.

Multiply that surprise by the people who don't cook and were never taught what to look for when selecting food in a grocery store.

The 32year old featured in your story might only know food after its reached the 'served on a plate' stage.

[ms traditional]

@KingstonsMom i learned something.  thank you!

[Spurt]

Thanks for sharing....learned something new.....

[grandma2pkmh]

I don't like cashews so I didn't pay much attention but the gentleman that sells them on QVC has show how they grow and has shown his farm where they are grown.(not in the US, in another country)

[bonnie f]

interesting!  i love cashews i can eat bowl fulls everyday

[MorningLover]

Cashews belongs to the family of poison ivy and poison sumac.

Cashew nuts are removed from their shells because the seed contain a harmful substance called urushiol and also the shells have a lining that is filled with this toxic fluid, so that is the reason why cashews are not sold in their shell.

The seeds are roasted at high temperature to destroy the harmful shell oil. Eating raw, unprocessed cashew seeds means that you are ingesting this toxic chemical which can potentially be fatal.

In the case of 'raw' cashews, they are usually steamed or boiled in oils. When they are roasted, they change the color from greenish-gray color to the light brown color.

I saw something on TV about this.

Hidden agony behind our craze for cashews:

Daily Mail April 2019

Many of the women who work in the cashew industry have permanent damage to their hands from this corrosive liquid, because factories do not routinely provide gloves.