Our Native Marañón (Cashew)
Woo-hoo! After talking about the Mimbro, Manzana de Agua and Snake Fingers we have finally found a fruit that is native to our area – the Cashew, or Marañón as it is locally known. But is it a fruit or a nut? Both? Yes! Many newcomers are not at all familiar with the Cashew fruit – they know all about the nut though. But there is so much more to the Cashew than the Fruit and Nut – for example, the husk and the toxic shell have found many uses, especially industrial applications. The timber, leaves & bark are also super useful for a variety of reasons. What an amazing and versatile plant!
THE FRUIT & NUT
The Cashew fruit is called a ‘Cashew Apple’ – a sweet & juicy fruit, if not a bit tangy. It is sometimes boiled with salt water to reduce the tanginess, but this is not necessary. The nut sits below the fruit, with a single nut to each fruit. In reality, the Cashew Apple is not a true fruit but an ‘accessory fruit’ – and the real fruit is in fact the kidney-shaped drupe which surrounds the Cashew Nut.
WATCH THE TOXICITY!
Marañón allergies are real – about 6% of all children and 3% of adults suffer from Cashew allergies. Cooking does not solve the problem as the proteins responsible for allergies survive hot temperatures. In addition the shell of the Cashew, often removed before the nut is sold to customers, can cause dermatitis – a skin reaction similar to that of poison ivy – often severe in nature.
SO MANY USES!
Nut:
The Cashew Nut is used in ways similar to other tree nuts – as a snack or additions to meals and salads. Its paste form is commonly used in South Asian cuisine as a base for sweets and curries, and we are all familiar with the Cashew Nut or shavings being sprinkled on top of desserts. Cashew sprouts are also eaten, both raw and cooked, alone, in salads, or as garnishes.
Apple:
The Cashew Apple can be eaten fresh, cooked in curries and sauces, or fermented into vinegar or citric acid. Like many similar fruit it goes well in preserves, chutneys, jams, sweets & juices. The flavor especially lends itself to production of juices that are mixed with alcoholic drinks while in Panama the fruit is cooked with water and sugar to make a delicious dessert. So a vert versatile fruit – but wait, there’s more!
In Goa, one of the first global areas to receive the Cashew from the Portuguese explorers, ripened Cashew Apples are mashed and the resulting juice, called ‘neero’, is extracted and fermented. It then undergoes a double distillation process to be made into a beverage called ‘fenny’ at about 40% alcohol content. The single distilled version of the drink, called ‘urrak’, comes in at about 15% alcohol.
In Tanzania, the Apple is first dried and then reconstituted with water and fermented, creating a strong liquor called ‘gongo’. Many Asian and African countries have their own specific names and recopies for liquor obtained from the Cashew Apple.
Nut Oil: Cashew Nut Oil is used in cooking or as a salad dressing. The nuts used in the production of oil are usually those that have been broken or damaged during processing, or that are misshapen or too big/small for culinary use. A single cold-pressed oil is the highest quality version.
Shell Oil: This is a natural resin that is a by-product of processing the Cashew Nuts – it is different from the above mentioned Cashew Nut Oil. Cashew Shell Oil is a very strong irritant that should be handled with much care. It has many uses – from folk medicine to timber treatment, absorption of wastewater contaminants, creation of bio monomers, potential for electrical energy storage, to uses as a resin for carbon composite products. The shell oil makes up 15-30% of the shell that it resides in.
Timber: Cashew timber is used in boat, packing crate & furniture making, utilized as house-boards, used to make handicrafts, and cooked to create an excellent charcoal.
Husk: The husk makes up less than 5% of the nut. It forms the dry film that covers the nut. The Cashew Husk is not edible but has found uses in industrial applications as an adsorbent and is also utilized within composites, biopolymers & dyes and in enzyme synthesis.
Bark: The bark gives a yellow resin, called Cashew Gum, that is useful in adhesives and many other industrial applications.
Leftovers: Discarded husks, nuts and leftovers from the processing of the Cashew plant can be used as animal feed – this includes the leaves of the tree. Chickens, ducks and pigs especially benefit from the addition of Cashew waste to their meals. Using the Cashew leftovers as biofuel is popular in many countries where the refuse is burned for heat or to power kitchen stoves. And finally, all parts of the tree can be used as organic fertilizer.
FAKE MILK, CHEESE AND BUTTER
Cashews are used as alternatives for a number of animal-based foods. Cashew Milk is a purported better alternative to Almond Milk – being a more nutritious and ‘creamier’ alternative. It is especially high in Iron and Magnesium, making it an attractive alternative for women, and its production consumes less water than the production of Almond Milk.
Cashew Cheese is a popular vegan food, as is Cashew Butter.
THE GIANT CASHEW TREE
It would be an insult to write an article about the Cashew and not mention the monstrous ‘Cashew of Pirangi’, world’s biggest Cashew tree. This monster covers an area of over 2 acres, sprawling inside an entire street block of Pirangi do Norte, Brazil. The Cashew of Pirangi produces over 60,000 Cashew fruit every year – this equals to over 160 fruit per day! The original tree spread outwardly by dropping its branches which took root to become trees in their own right. This process continued for decades but now the tree is no longer spreading, sitting confined in its borders made of roads and buildings. While some say the Cashew of Pirangi was planted in 1888, one serious study puts its age at ‘over 1000 years old’.
THE MORE BORING CASHEW TREES
Cashew trees are generally capped at 14 meters or 45 feet high, however some dwarf commercial varieties stay low at about 6 meters or 20 feet – these cultivars are more profitable as they mature sooner and deliver greater yields, sometimes 4x the amount of fruit and nuts for the same acreage. The trees thrive in tropical climates between 25 degrees N and S of the equator, preferring well-drained sandy or loamy soils. Once established, they can tolerate periods of drought.
DISTRIBUTION & CULTIVATION
The Cashew tree is native to the tropics of South America. In the 1500s, Portuguese explorers distributed the tree around the world. The nuts were exported from Brazil starting in the 1550s. Between 1560 and 65, the tree made its way to Goa in India and from there it spread all over SE Asia and eventually Africa. Today Côte d’Ivoire, India, Vietnam, Philippines, Tanzania, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Niger, and Burkina Faso lead the world in the cultivation of Cashews.
Our tropical area boasts untold variety of strange, exotic, and tasty produce – a visit to a local fruit stall will leave you speechless! Imagine living in a beautiful, tropical land where each day brings an explosion of new tastes and wonder – you can make this dream a reality much quicker than you think! Take the first step by browsing our local property listings here. RE/MAX WE SELL PARADISE is your trusted partner in this land of exotic and tropical culinary delights – we are waiting for your call!
Cover photo c/0 Vinayaraj, wikicommons.
