Cashew Ancardia Anacardiaceae occidentale Theresa Elder 04/17/13

Anacardiaceae occidentale Related to American poison ivy and poison sumac as well as mango and pistachio Anacardium “upward heart” refers to fruit Other 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 cultivation Cashew nut (drupe) 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 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

Nutrition and medical uses 1 cashew 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 2 Cashew 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_appl e.html http://cashewyjuice.com/english/aboutus.html http://www.jissn.com/content/10/1/13/ http://www.phukethealthshop.com/2011/01/10/concentrate d-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.ht ml http://www.goquangphuc.com/en/product/cashew- wood.html http://www.21food.com/products/raw-cashew-nut- 377802.html