Cashews are truly an international nut, grown on three continents and in both northern and southern hemispheres. Native to Brazil, the cashew was introduced to India and East Africa in the 16th century. It is a tree that is indigenous to the jungle, and thrives in tropical climates. Many cashew trees produce nuts for 15 to 20 years or more. Yields vary, with the maturity of the tree, from about 70-200 pounds of nuts per tree. Bloom in India is from mid-December to early February, with harvest following in March and April.

At harvest the tree drops its fruit, calle"apples" on the ground. The whole nuts are attached to the base of the TRA, and are removed by hand from the fruit. Cleaning, shelling, drying, peeling, grading, and packing the raw nuts obtain the cashew kernels. Kernels must have characteristic shape and be reasonably dry. Insect damage, black spots and residual testa should not be evident. Rancid kernels must not be present.

The highly popular CASHEW nut that originated in the West Indies has spread its species all over the world. It is dangerous until roasted and is characteristic of the Poison Ivy family.

The cashew tree is often found on the West Side of the continent near the warm ocean. It's growing range runs from 7-degree north latitude to a 7-degree south latitude. In Brazil cashew trees grow wild right at the equator near Forteleza, Brazil. In India the cashew tree is found in plantations located in the southern tip in Kerala State on the Malabar Coast.

The cashew nut has a kidney-shaped hard shell hanging on the end of a fleshy fruit - the cashew apple. The cashew apple is two inches in diameter and four inches long. At maturity the apple turns bright red or yellow. The shell contains oil that is highly irritating to the skin. The kernels should be heated in their shells before they are broken open and extracted. The caustic oil is expelled from the hard shell during roasting making the inside kernel sweet and pleasant to eat. Returning soldiers after World War II knew it as the BLISTER NUT due to the caustic irritating oil the nut had before roasting..