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NEWS |
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From Trash to Treasure Excerpt from August 2001 newsletter Patsy Flanigan
The cashew nut, now considered one of the most elegant of nuts, was once completely discarded as worthless. One nut grows on the bottom of a delicious tropical fruit, often called the cashew apple.
People of the tropics enjoyed the fruit so much that the hard-shelled nut at the bottom was just thrown away. When they broke the shell open, a caustic liquid inside got on their hands and caused a rash, so it is understandable that they didn't want to do that. Of course, we are talking a long time ago, but even today it is still illegal to import cashew nuts into this country in the shell.
Eventually it was discovered that the liquid inside the shell was valuable. Not only that, it was discovered that the nut itself has a pleasant, slightly sweet buttery taste. It's unique shape is appealing, and we now know that it is a significant carrier of copper, a good source of phosphorus and has the second highest magnesium level of all the nuts.
India and Brazil account for 80% of industrialized cashew processing and export. The United States is the leading importer. World cashew crop yield and production fell dramatically in the 1999/2000 crop year causing a spike in prices. The 2000/2001-year has been better in terms of volume, but processing labor costs have risen.
One reason cashews are so popular is their versatility. They lend themselves well to both main dishes (cashew chicken salad, cashew crusted fish etc.) and desserts, as well as being snacktime favorites.
We can be thankful that the cashew has been recognized for the treasure that it is … another delicious health nut. |
