Cashew AncardiaAnacardiaceae occidentaleTheresa Elder04/17/13
Anacardiaceae occidentale
Related to American poison ivy and poison sumac as well as mango and pistachioAnacardium “upward heart” refers to fruitOther names Tupi acaju and Portuguese caju, marañon in Spanish
Morphology Large evergreen tree 10-14m tall irregular shaped trunk
Flowers are in a panicle up to 26cm long, there are 5 acute slender petals mixed male, female, and both male and female
The actual fruit is the nut or drupe cashew seed, surrounded by a double shell, green turns red
Between shells is oil chemically related to urushiol
A second false fruit, pseudocarp, known as the cashew apple is developed from the swollen stem; yellow, orange or red 5-11cm long
The cashew apple is edible
Geography of Cultivation
Native to Northeast Brazil 16th century Portuguese traders introduced to Goa, India
as soil retainer Spread to NE Asia, Africa, and near by islands Also grown in coastal US states Some areas cultivate apple while others
Features of cultivation
Grown in subtropical and tropical climates
Tolerates poor soil, drought, and salt air
Prefers high humidity 3 years from planting
to cultivation
Features of cultivationCashew nut (drupe)
Fruits picked by hand or fall together Nuts are sun dried then roasted outdoors
or in roasting cylinders Inner shells broken by hand heated
again to remove skin
Cashew apple
Fragile skin unsuitable to transport
Perishable: yeast and fungi species
Can be eaten raw Fruit pressure
steamed before being candied or made into juice, jams, chutneys, and alcohol due to tannins
Nutrition and medical uses 1cashew nut & tree
Common snack food and used Indian, Thai, Chinese, Mozambique and other country cuisine
Oil is topical antifungal, antiseptic. Kills worms
Ground seeds antivenom for snake bites
Cashew nutshell liquid treat tooth abscesses
Bark soaked or boiled as antidiarrheal
Gum used as varnish Wood used in construction 54% fats and oils Rich in Anacardic acid Rich in vitamin C and mineral salts
treats premature aging
Nutrition and medical uses 2Cashew apple
5x more vitamin C than orange Digestive disorders Fever reducer Gargle for sore throat In Brazil, relieve pains/ aches
from neurasthenia & arthritis Stimulates brain and memory Said to increase resistance to
venereal diseases Enhanced fat oxidation during
exercise and endurance performance
Tikuna: influenza, relieve warts, 3 antitumor compounds
Cajueiro de Pirangi
World’s largest cashew tree covers and area of 7,500 m² in Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
References
http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii108/7_Heads/Fruit%20Trees/Cashew_Nuts_fruit_1.jpg
http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cashew http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/cashew_app
le.html http://cashewyjuice.com/english/aboutus.html http://www.jissn.com/content/10/1/13/ http://www.phukethealthshop.com/2011/01/10/concentrat
ed-cashew-apple-juice-thailand/
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/97939/cashew
http://belizeplants.blogspot.com/
References 2
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maior_cajueiro_do_mundo http://www.natal-brazil.com/entertainment/cashew-tree.html http://listsoplenty.com/blog/?p=10749 http://www.hobotraveler.com/2008-0041-Cashew-Nut.shtml http://
depositphotos.com/12692011/stock-photo-Cashew-nut-tree.html
http://www.treepicturesonline.com/cashew_tree_pictures.html http://www.goquangphuc.com/en/product/cashew-wood.html http://www.21food.com/products/raw-cashew-nut-377802.html