We all enjoy eating a handful of buttery, crunchy cashews, but few of us understand the fascinating and bizarre story of how these came to be. Cashews are not like walnuts or almonds, which grow in the shell on a tree. The process of their growth is complicated, eye-catching and labor-intensive.

So, if you've ever looked at a snack bowl and asked yourself how are cashews grown, you'll find that it's in tropical climates, “false fruits” and a natural defense that must be overcome with great extra caution. So let's get started by taking a look at the ultimate guide to the journey from the tropical evergreen tree to the kitchen pantry of this special type of nut.

The Unusual Anatomy of a Cashew Tree

To learn about cashew production, it is necessary to observe the Anacardium occidentale tree. A very hardy tropical evergreen tree that is now widely planted throughout India, Vietnam and other African countries, but is originally from northeastern Brazil.

The uniqueness of this tree is that it is producing two separate structures simultaneously:

1. The Cashew Apple (The False Fruit): A bright red or yellow pear-shaped accessory fruit. It is sweet, succulent and very short-lived.

2. The Cashew Nut (The True Fruit): A kidney-shaped shell that hangs oddly from the bottom of the fleshy cashew apple.

When people enquire about the process of growing and harvesting cashews, they are usually amazed to find out that each cashew apple yields one cashew nut. This is one of the reasons for cashews' high price tag versus other daily snacks, due to their very low yield per fruit.

Understanding the growth process of cashew nuts.The Life Cycle of a Cashew.

From a single seed to a bountiful harvest, it takes time, certain climate conditions, and careful cultivation methods.

• Planting and Climate Requirements: Cashew is a warm, tropical tree that requires a wet and dry season. They need lots of sun and are very tolerant of drought after growing into sandy or loamy soils.

• Flowering Phase: After about three years, small, fragrant, pinkish-white flowers cluster together on the tree during the dry season. Bees and other native insects are key pollinators in these flowers.

• Fruit Development: True nut shell is formed first at the end of the stem following successful pollination. The stem thickens to form the colourful, large cashew apple as the weeks go on, forcing the nut downwards. It takes approximately 3-4 months from flowering to maturity.

The Harvest: When is the Time?

The farmers needing to monitor the crop should observe the tree's colour. The cultivation of nuts for commercial purposes is often a surprisingly manual process when it comes to are cashews grown.

Cashew farmers prefer to wait for the ripe cashew apples to drop to the ground by gravity rather than picking them off the tree. This will make sure the nut has the maximum amount of nutrients and oil in a kidney shaped shell.

When the fruits drop, they are picked by hand. The real nut is twisted off from the bottom of the fleshy apple. Although the apples are edible fresh or in juice or wine, they spoil in just a few days, and the main interest is immediately on the nut shell, which is valued for its edible kernel.

Why You Don't See Cashews in a Shell: The Hidden Danger.Why You Don't See Cashews in a Shell: The Hidden Danger.

Ever notice that peanuts, pistachios, hazelnuts are sold in shells, but cashews are always sold naked? This is a critically important safety issue, based on the plant's self protection mechanism.

The cashew nut is coated with a thick liquid called Anacardic Acid, which is similar to urushiol, the toxin secreted by poison ivy. This oil will cause severe chemical burns and blisters to skin if attempted to break open the raw cashew shell with bare hands or teeth.

The raw harvest is therefore protected by this built-in toxic shield and therefore entails a careful, step-by-step safety procedure when it comes time for processing.

• Drying: Collected nuts are dried in the sun for a few days to lower the moisture in the nuts.

• Roasting or Steaming: The shells are roasted or steamed. This neutralizes the toxic oils; the outer shell then becomes very easy to crack.

• Shelling and Peeling: The outer hull is opened by highly-skilled workers and the kernel is peeled out with mechanical tools. The kernel has a thin skin (testa) inside which needs to be peeled off after a short drying time.

This process is important to know because...

Knowing the cashew trees and nuts' cultivation habits alters the perception of this common food. It shows how much work, time and location specificity it takes to make one package of nuts. The three-year wait until the first harvest, as well as the exact amount of heat necessary to remove harmful acids during the roasting process makes it easily one of the most resource-intensive crops on the planet.

Next time you savor the taste of a cashew, you'll get a taste of the ingenious tropical magic and attentive working that transformed a colorful rainforest tree into a delicious snack.