The acidic liquid from the shell was also used for tattoo decorations on human bodies.
#Cashew apples cracked#
The nuts were traditionally roasted in fire, cracked and the kernel extracted from the shell and consumed.
“As a result of this, the areas where cashew was known to the people attempted in many ways of consuming both the apple and the nut. However, a Ghanaian cashew farmer with great experience in cashew production, currently a Board member of the Tree Crops Development Authority (TCDA) representing cashew producers, Chief Adams Tampuri, narrates that, during the 1960s there was very little knowledge or sufficient research findings on the economic, health and environmental benefits of both the cashew apple and cashew nut. It was later introduced to the western coast of Africa, where it now grows in places such as Senegal, Nigeria, Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, and other countries.įinding a clear history of the widespread belief, in most African cashew producing countries, have proved difficult since it was based mainly on speculations and hearsay. According to them, the tree was spread across the eastern coast to places such as Tanzania, and Kenya. In the mid-1500 during the industrialisation period in Europe, through the exploits and trading activities of Europeans, particularly Portuguese explorers and traders, cashew was introduced to India and the eastern coast of Africa, a place now known as Mozambique. Historical perspective of how this belief came aboutĬashew, according to the Red River Feeds, is native to the northeastern part of Brazil. This article examines if there is any truth in this wide belief, where it came from, the impact this is having on the cashew industry and the health benefits of the cashew apple. As old and primitive as this belief may seem, a lot of people have been hugely influenced by it to avoid eating cashew apples. While her article focused on examining the risk of toxicity of cashew nuts, it recalls the very popular and old belief in Ghana and some African countries that, eating cashew apple and immediately taking milk is very poisonous. It indicated that the steaming and roasting of cashew nuts during processing removes this urushiol, hence making processed cashew nuts safe for consumption. The article examined the risk of toxicity of cashew nuts since it contains urushiol in its raw form. In her article “Are cashew poisonous: all you need to know”, Plant-Based Lifestyle Strategist Lauren Panoff, highlighted the many health benefits of consuming cashew, including controlling sugar levels in people with Type 2 diabetes. However, unlike cashew nuts which are consumable only after it has been processed, the cashew apple can be eaten in its raw form. It is very necessary to establish that, the cashew fruit is made up of two parts: the cashew nut and the cashew apple. Over the years, cashew has become a very important agricultural commodity, in terms of economic contribution through revenue generation, job creation, and reducing poverty in these countries and beyond.īecause of the many health benefits due to its rich nutritional content, cashew is consumed across the globe, especially in India, Europe, and America. Cote d ’Ivoire, Tanzania, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Benin, Guinea, Guinea Bussie, Senegal, Gambia, Togo and Mozambique are the major cashew growing countries in Africa. Native to north-eastern Brazil and introduced to India and parts of Africa by Portuguese traders in the 14 th century, cashew is today grown in about 30 countries worldwide, including 14 African countries.
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